Seven third-year students of Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College were arrested last night on charges of ransacking the bar of a hotel and assaulting its employees.
All of them were released on bail today. The hotel in Kadamtala, Jalpaiguri, has four restaurants, one of them with a bar as well as a discotheque.
The students had visited the bar-cum-restaurant around 9.15pm. “They walked in and demanded drinks. We served them some pegs,” said Arup Ganguly, the general manager of the hotel. “After some time, they moved to the disco and asked for some more liquor. We refused, as they had not paid up their dues (incurred during earlier visits) of Rs 1,240.”
“Infuriated, they first beat up our waiters and then went on the rampage, hurling tables and chairs, breaking glasses and cutlery and damaging furniture. We had no option but to inform Kotwali police station,” Ganguly added. Bar manager Tarun Dutta was among those who were assaulted.
The students were charged with ransack, assault and creating nuisance. One of them fell sick and was taken to Jalpaiguri Sadar Hospital. He was later released.
Vivekananda Biswas, the assistant proctor of the college, had visited the police station last night. Today, J. Jhampati, the principal, said it was not possible to keep watch on 1,500 boarders.
“Nevertheless our inquiry committee will investigate the incident. Once they submit the report to me, necessary steps would be taken in case any student is found guilty.”
The students were produced in the chief judicial magistrate’s court in Jalpaiguri this morning. The court granted them bail against a surety of Rs 500.
Deborshi Ghosh, the general secretary of the college students’ union, said the assault on the bar employees was in self-defence.
“We have specific information that the employees had attacked them first. It was a trifle issue which could have been mutually sorted out but was unnecessarily exaggerated,” Ghosh said.
All of them were released on bail today. The hotel in Kadamtala, Jalpaiguri, has four restaurants, one of them with a bar as well as a discotheque.
The students had visited the bar-cum-restaurant around 9.15pm. “They walked in and demanded drinks. We served them some pegs,” said Arup Ganguly, the general manager of the hotel. “After some time, they moved to the disco and asked for some more liquor. We refused, as they had not paid up their dues (incurred during earlier visits) of Rs 1,240.”
“Infuriated, they first beat up our waiters and then went on the rampage, hurling tables and chairs, breaking glasses and cutlery and damaging furniture. We had no option but to inform Kotwali police station,” Ganguly added. Bar manager Tarun Dutta was among those who were assaulted.
The students were charged with ransack, assault and creating nuisance. One of them fell sick and was taken to Jalpaiguri Sadar Hospital. He was later released.
Vivekananda Biswas, the assistant proctor of the college, had visited the police station last night. Today, J. Jhampati, the principal, said it was not possible to keep watch on 1,500 boarders.
“Nevertheless our inquiry committee will investigate the incident. Once they submit the report to me, necessary steps would be taken in case any student is found guilty.”
The students were produced in the chief judicial magistrate’s court in Jalpaiguri this morning. The court granted them bail against a surety of Rs 500.
Deborshi Ghosh, the general secretary of the college students’ union, said the assault on the bar employees was in self-defence.
“We have specific information that the employees had attacked them first. It was a trifle issue which could have been mutually sorted out but was unnecessarily exaggerated,” Ghosh said.