Siraha, January 12:

Protesting students kept up their blockade of East-West highway at Asanpur Golbazar today as well and vandalised vehicles.

Police got the highway reopened after 3 pm even as students clashed repeatedly with them. Several students were injured in the police action. A policeman was also injured in the stone pelting by students, said the Asanpur area police office.

Demanding compensation to at least 15 students and civilians, who were injured in police action yesterday while students were blocking the highway, they called for action against the guilty in the Balahi School incident, the Siraha chief district officer, superintendent of police and the district education officer, the students vandalised a passenger bus and made bonfires of tyres at several places.

The furore sparked five days ago after a dispute over teachers at the Rajain Janak Secondary School in Balahi VDC and peaked when tripartite talks among protesting students, school management committee and disgruntled guardians ended inconclusively. Also yesterday, students had blocked the highway and several students and civilians were severely injured when police resorted to baton charge to clear the highway.

Angry locals had also vandalised six vehicles to protest the police action.