Violence erupted at the Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, hours after the police arrested student leader Ashutosh Singh. In response to the arrest, Singh’s supporters vandalised a State Bank of India ATM, set a school bus on fire and damaged over 40 other vehicles, the Hindustan Times reported.
“A group of Banaras Hindu University students, all supporters of Ashutosh Singh, set a Delhi Public School bus on fire and damaged several vehicles belonging to attendants at the Sir Sundar Lal Hospital,” Bhelupur Circle Officer AP Singh told the daily. “The situation is now under control.”
The bus was empty when the students set it on fire, except for the driver and his helper, who fled, Hindustan Times reported.
BHU Chief Proctor Royana Singh inspected the scene of the violence and said they will take action against the students responsible. “The university administration will not tolerate such activities,” she said.
There have been a number of complaints against Singh, Hindi newspaper Patrika reported. He is accused of creating a ruckus during a cultural event organised at BHU and using a fake Facebook account in the name of IIT-BHU to abuse students online.
Singh also reportedly abused Dr OP Upadhyay of Sir Sunderlal Hospital and threw a petrol bomb at his house. The hospital is run by the university’s Institute of Medical Sciences.
Unidentified police officials told the Hindustan Times that the police booked Singh in three cases of extortion on Wednesday.
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