Guardians demand cheating be allowed, police fire in air

SAHARSA (Bihar): Police fired 16 rounds in the air to quell a violent mob of people who demanded that cheating be allowed by examinees at the Sarva Narayan Singh-Ram Kumar Singh College on Tuesday.

Nearly a thousand guardians of students who assembled at the college were enraged after being prevented from sending chits to their wards appearing for the intermediate mathematics paper and pelted stones that injured three policemen, Saharsa's District Magistrate Niranjan Kumar Chaudhary said.

The crowd pulled down the college's main gate and damaged furniture, he said.

The guardians, however, did not enter classrooms after police fired 16 rounds in the air.

Chaudhury and Superintendent of Police Bashiruddin Ahmed rushed to the examination centre with reinforcements.

The situation was tense but under control, Chaudhury said.

Students of M L D College were appearing in the examination at the centre, he said.

Security at all eight examination centres in the town, where about 7,200 students were appearing for the test, was tightened following the incident.

Angry over admit cards not being issued for the intermediate science examination, students had set on fire vehicles, including the jeep of the principal of Madhepura College in adjoining Madhepura district, on Monday.