College of Art and Crafts principal Chandra Bhushan Srivastava has not been able to attend office for the past 18 days.

He has turned a room at his residence on the Patna University's Rani Ghat campus as the principal's chamber, discharging all the duties.

The ostensible reason is the ongoing protest of students demanding his removal.

Principal Srivastava said: "Some students, with patronage of teachers, held me hostage at the college, asking me to resign. The students also threatened me if I did not follow their order."

He said the nuisance created by a handful of students had forced others to suffer. "As students have blocked the main entrance, I have decided to function from my residence so that students can fill up their examination forms." He said till date, around 175 of around 220 students have filled up their forms.

The students, meanwhile, have decided to meet chancellor Ram Nath Kovind to apprise him of the situation.

According to the protesters, trouble started at college campus on April 21, when a student, Vishvendu Narayan Singh, was allegedly beaten up by a contractor working on the college campus.

Chandan Kumar, a seventh semester student, said: "On April 21, there was some altercation between Vishvendu and the contractor over a trivial issue. Later, the contractor allegedly beat up Vishvendu. When he, along with other students, reached the principal's office to register complaint, he refused to hear the grievances," added Chandan.

The student claimed that at a college function on April 25, when some students again approached the college principal with their grievances, Srivastava decided to take action against those who were part of the delegation.

The principal later issued a notification suspending eight students. The protesters took up the suspension of eight students and have been boycotting classes and have even closed the main gate of the college ever since. The art students have put up banners and posters, denouncing the "autocratic" attitude of the principal, who according to students, takes little interest in their problems.

A college teacher, preferring anonymity, said: "We have not visited the college for the past 18 days, as students have blocked the main gate of college. "The students and the teachers are both affected, as official work is stuck."

Patna University vice-chancellor Y.C. Simhadri too has not been attending office for the past nine months. The VC has stopped visiting the office because of repeated protests of students, non-teaching staff and even teachers. He carries out his official work from his residence located on the university premises.