Patna College. Telegraph picture

Patna, March 2: Three students of Patna College have been issued showcause notices for molesting two girls in the campus yesterday morning.

The fourth one named in the FIR lodged by the girls is said to be an outsider staying illegally in a room at Jackson Hostel of the college.

Sources in the college said the three students — Satyam alias Ujjwal, Amardeep and Mritunjay Kumar — had to reply to the showcause notice by 5pm on March 5.

“Once we receive their replies, the nine-member disciplinary committee will sit again for a meeting on March 6 and a decision towards their possible expulsion can be taken,” a college administration official said.

College principal Rash Bihari Prasad Singh said in the afternoon: “Suitable action will be initiated against the students.”

The sources said Varun, the fourth accused, was staying in room No. 56 of Jackson Hostel illegally.

“A disciplinary committee team went to the hostel today. The members found Varun, not a student of the college, was living in the room illegally. The room has been originally allotted to Rahul Kumar, a college student. Varun is doing a correspondence course from a local institute. We have also found that he was involved in many a squabble on the college campus. Since all the four are absconding at present, their rooms have been sealed. Similarly, the committee members checked the room No. 56 of the hostel and found two students sitting for their CBSE exams. After sealing Rahul’s room, he has been served with a notice asking to explain the anomaly. It is possible that he had rented out the room to these two students in return of money,” the official added.

Police officers said the four — from Munger, Sheikhpura, Khagaria and Bakhtiyarpur — have not been arrested. After failing to find any of the students during repeated raids yesterday, the police did not even visit either the college or the hostel today.

“We have started thorough investigation into the matter. Raids are also on to pick up the youths,” DSP (Town) Manoj Tiwary said.

On the other hand, college gardener Pintu Kumar today came up before the disciplinary committee with a similar complaint.

“According to his complaint, Pintu is being roughed up by at least five boarders of the hostel. On February 25, a group of boarders came to the hostel gate late in a drunken state and Pintu did not open the gate on time. As a result, he is being tortured since then and the boys have threatened to finish off his family too. This is complete lawlessness in the hostel,” the college official pointed out.

In another incident of alleged molestation, a 25-year-old girl, travelling in an autorickshaw from Mahendru accused a 30-year-old co-passenger, working in a private firm, of inappropriately touching her.

“We have detained the man, identified as Rahul Kumar. The incident took place around 1pm. The woman accused the man of misbehaviour and they both had an argument at the Bakarganj area when the auto stopped. The police were informed and a team reached the spot immediately to pick up the man,” an officer at the local Gandhi Maidan police station said.