A minor altercation on Wednesday night turned ugly, leading to a violent clash between boarders of Minto and Jackson hostels on Thursday.

Sources said violence erupted in the afternoon as boarders of Minto and Jackson hostels of Patna College had an altercation over some issue. Soon, boarders of both the hostels assembled at the college ground and began exchanging blows. For more than half an hour, the Patna College campus turned into a battlefield with both groups attacking each other with bricks, sticks and hockey sticks.

The sources said many students sustained injuries in the group clash with one Arjun Yadav, a former boarder of Jackson hostel, receiving head injuries. Arjun was rushed to nearby Patna Medical College and Hospital where he got 12 stitches in his head. Arjun, who is pursuing postgraduation from Patna University at present, was standing near Hindi Bhavan at Patna College premises when some boarders of Minto hostel reached there, identified him and attacked him with bricks.

As news of attack on Arjun spread like wildfire, boarders of Jackson hostel once again assembled near Minto hostel attacking them with bricks. University officials, including college teachers, also visited the hospital to see Arjun.

Sensing the situation getting deteriorated, the college administration called up Pirbahore police station. The police too had a tough time in controlling the situation. Pirbahore police station house officer said: "The police have detained 16 people in this connection. The situation is under control at present." The police have also taken the statement of Arjun

Patna University pro-vice-chancellor Ranjeet Kumar Verma said: "The university will go through the details of the incidents and strong action will be initiated against those students involved in it."

The clash has once again highlighted the deteriorating law and order situation on the college campus, as on Wednesday night both the groups hurled bombs and attendance of students was low on Thursday.

A first-year student on condition of anonymity said: "Such incidents bring a sense of insecurity among us."

Echoing the student's views, a senior teacher of Patna College said: "Not only students but the teachers are also scared of growing violence as a few months back, some students beat up geography teacher K.N. Paswan and even the vice-chancellor's secretary, Basant Kumar Thakur."

The teacher added that since only a handful of students are creating nuisance, the university and college administration should identify and initiate strict action against them.