Posters of protest on the Besu campus. A Telegraph picture

The Bengal Engineering and Science University (Besu) campus witnessed a fresh sit-in on Wednesday, moments after vice-chancellor N.R. Banerjea met a group of 30 first-year students.

“The interaction was a farce. We were told that the vice-chancellor would hear our grievances. Instead, he warned us that if we take part in any protest, we will be expelled from the university,” said a student, who did not want to be named.

“It was an exercise of threat and intimidation,” said Shyamasish Das, who led the sit-in.

A section of teachers, too, accused the authorities of “practising autocracy”.

“It is useless to talk to students in this atmosphere of uncertainty and insecurity,” said Besu Teachers’ Association president Sugata Pal.

The students again submitted a petition to Banerjea, demanding “immediate removal of police from campus, withdrawal of FIRs against students, arrest of the culprits and immediate election of the students’ union”. The union election was last held in 2006 and the office-bearers are due to graduate in two months.

The students are also demanding action against one of the teachers, Bhabani Mukherjee, a member of the disciplinary committee who had allegedly released two third-year students caught with hockey sticks on campus on March 19.