Court asks JNU to re-admit evicted hostellers

New Delhi, March 20 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Friday rapped the Jawaharlal Nehru University for evicting three students for their alleged involvement in a hostel scuffle, when an enquiry was still pending.

Justice S. Ravinder Bhat, who directed the university to wrap up the enquiry within a week, asked the authorities to re-admit them in the hostel with immediate effect.

The court also said the hostel authorities cannot keep the students out till the completion of the enquiry.

The three students - Santosh Kumar Pathak, Ashutosh Singh and Shashi Shankar Singh - alleged that the senior warden of Lohit Hostel had illegally passed an order asking them to vacate the hostel.

Advocate Monica Arora, appearing for the students, said that on March 17 there was a scuffle between two factions during a student general body meeting.

Counsel alleged that the brawl started when some 'unruly' students, including university union president, in a drunken state started using abusive and filthy language against the hostel residents.