[ 6 Sep, 2006 0257hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
HOWRAH: A Howrah court has directed eight students of Bengal Engineering and Science University (Shibpur) to pay Rs 1 lakh each as bail bond for "committing public nuisance" — walking in a group inside the campus on August 22 night with the intention of creating trouble.
The Besu registrar has been asked to pay the Rs 8 lakh on the students' behalf within 15 days. The amount, rarely heard of in such cases, has created a flutter among lawyers and students.
The Independent Consolidation-controlled students' union has called a strike on Monday. The eight second-year students — all boys — were arrested on August 22 night and granted bail a day later.
They were directed to appear at the Howrah first court on Tuesday, when executive magistrate Prasanta Mullick directed them to sign a bond assuring that they wouldn't be involved in trouble-making. The students refused.
"Why should we sign a bond? We've done nothing wrong. We are prepared to take the legal route to clear our names, but we won't sign the bond," said Rajasree Das Bhowmik, one of the students.
The magistrate then told the students to shell out Rs 1 lakh in a fortnight, failing which they would be arrested again.
"The registrar will have to arrange the money on their behalf within 15 days. We will move the high court against this order," said Goutam Dhang, defence lawyer. Apart from calling a strike, IC is agitated over the police picket on campus.
"The university authorities should immediately remove it. Police intervention in matters involving students should be stopped. Besu must solve the problems on its own, not take outside help," said Abhigyan Bera, IC spokesperson.
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