Kathmandu, January 4:

Three students of Balmeeki Vidhyapeeth were badly hurt in police lathicharge while 20 were arrested when they were protesting at the Exhibition Road after being barred entry into the college this morning. The students were also protesting against the forceful breaking of the students’ lock-out at the office of the campus administration by

the campus authorities with the help of the police.

The students started chanting slogans against the campus administration after the police stationed at the main gate barred them from entering into the college on request from the campus administration.

Those hurt in police lathicharge included FSU president Laxman Acharya, Kshitiz Bhandari, vice-of the NSU’s campus unit, and Ram Krishna Gyawali.

Deepak Adhikary, FSU treasurer Padam Raj Pant, Bishnu Panthi, Surya Rai, Dinesh Rai, Himal Dutta Shrestha, Krishna Rijal, Dhruba Bhatta, Indu Sharma , Jeet Sherchan, Hrishab Ghimire, Keshab Khatiwada, Bishnu Daulipal, Netra Dahal and Ram Krishna Lamichane were among those detained. They have been kept at the Mahendra Police Club and the Singha Durbar Baidhya Khana police station Laxman Acharya, FSU chairman, said their next step would be to lock out the main gate of the campus so that even the principal and other officials would not be able to enter the college premises. “The campus administration has made the situation even more complex by inviting police and arresting students,” Acharya said.

The office of the campus administration had been locked out by the students for the last 36 days. The have put forth 27-point educational demands that include quality education and resignation of the campus chief. The campus administration forcefully broke the lock-out yesterday to be locked out again by the students. The campus administration retaliated by breaking the lock-out this morning and barring the students from entering the college premises by positioning police at the main gate.

Issuing a press release today, the Nepal Students’ Union (NSU) condemned the barring of students from entering the campus and the police intervention. The union also demanded immediate release of three student leaders — Bamdev Adhikary, Pradip Marasini and Saroj Khanal — who are in police detention since December 29. The government is planning to charge them under the Public Offence Act.