Day after violence, inmates of five BHU hostels evicted

VARANASI: The Banaras Hindu University administration got vacated Birla and LBS hostels with the help of heavy police force, here on Wednesday.

Inmates of three others hostels vacated the varsity premises on their own.

The action came a day after a quarrel between an attendant and junior doctor on Monday had led to residents of Birla and Dhanvantari hostels clashing with each other.

A case has been registered against 300 unidentified persons in connection with the arson and stone pelting during the intervening night of September 24 and September 25, said Lanka police station in charge Bharat Bhushan Tiwari.

Rooms were thoroughly examined and sealed after checking was carried out on rooftops of hostels, using drone camera, said BHU authorities.

On Tuesday, the varsity administration issued an order asking residents to vacate five hostels — Ruia hostel-medical block, Ruiya Annexi, Dhanvantari Hostel, Birla Hostel, and Lal Bahadur Shashtri Hostel —within 24 hours.

Ruia hostel-medical block, Ruiya Annexi, Dhanvantari Hostel were vacated by the residents within few hours after the order, while residents of Birla Hostel staged a dharna against the order. It ended only after district magistrate Surendra Singh interacted with students.

The eviction drive was led by chief proctor Prof Royana Singh and DM Surendra Singh, senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sureshrao Anand Kulkarni.

Few residents who were present inside shouted slogans but fled the scene soon.

“Students cooperated in vacating the hostels. The move is aimed at ensuring peace and establishing academic atmosphere on the varsity premises,” said the chief proctor.

She said the hostels would remain close till further order.

JUNIOR DOCTORS’ STRIKE ENTERS DAY 2

Junior doctors of Sir Sunder Lal Hospital remained on strike on the second consecutive day on Wednesday. They are protesting the assault on their colleague on Monday.