Student clashes: Court gives directions to Himachal varsity

Shimla, June 21 (IANS) Shocked by student groups' violence on campus, the Himachal Pradesh High Court Thursday ordered the state university here to ask the students to remove all their belongings from the boys' hostel within 24 hours.

A division bench of Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice D.C. Chaudhary directed the university registrar to invite applications from students who needed to remain in their hostel rooms for appearing in the on-going exams.

The court was hearing a petition of a student against the order of the university Monday to close all boys' hostels for indefinite period after the recent violence and detection of illegal occupants in hostel rooms.

The court asked police to monitor the situation when students take away their belongings from the hostel rooms and sought a report from the university Friday.

According to the police, against the allotted strength of 810, around 2,000 students had been staying in hostels.

Police told the judges that a search operation was conducted in all boys' hostels and knives, iron rods and other arms were recovered.

Rival student political groups have been clashing on the campus for the past few weeks. Some students alleged the involvement of teachers and other employees in campus politics.

The court Wednesday observed that as per the Himachal Pradesh University ordinance of 1973 "no employee shall take part in any political activity".

The expression employee included teacher as well, the judges said.