The robbed administrative office at BN College in Patna. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Patna, Nov. 20: A few persons barged into the administrative office of BN College in small hours today and ransacked the file stack, leaving aside computers and other costly electronic gadgets. Rummaging through different files till the dawn, they allegedly left with some important documents.

The raid on the college, barely 300m away from Pirbhore police station, paints a sorry picture of law enforcers. The incident triggered panic among students and teachers of the college because their important documents are stored in the administrative office.

Documents related to funds utilisation of the University Grants Commission (UGC), bank receipts, salary receipts of employees, service books of teachers and admission details of students are stocked in the room. It also houses the legal papers of the college.

A senior teacher of BN College said: “The persons who entered the administrative office had a foolproof game plan. They were probably looking for some important documents.”

The senior teacher also suspected involvement of some insiders in the raid.

As computers and other electronic gadgets were untouched, the teachers and students of the college suspect the criminals were not ordinary thieves. They had come for some specific papers and fled with them, another teacher of the institution said. He added that the intruders had information regarding the papers kept in the office.

Around eight to 10 persons entered the college campus around 00.30hours, sources said. They tied the hands and the mouth of the security guard, Jagdish Yadav. Two other persons, both rickshaw-pullers, sleeping on the college premises were also tied up. The intruders then dragged the trio to the mathematics department room and locked them up.

Patna University proctor Kriteshwar Prasad said: “According to the information provided by the security guard, the intruders broke open the lock of the main administrative office after confining him and the two rickshaw-pullers inside the mathematics department room.”

Prasad said the persons who entered the college had come with tools for breaking the lock of the office. He said: “When we entered the administrative office (in the morning), the files were scattered on the floor.”

The security guard informed the college principal, K.K. Maltiyar, about the incident after the intruders left early in the morning.

Rabindra Kumar, a teacher of philosophy department at BN College, said: “On receiving information about the incident, the college principal, vice-chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh, dean of students’ welfare P.K. Poddar and the proctor reached the college with cops from Pirbhore police station.”

The university administration and the college officials requested the police to seal the room suspecting some insiders’ hand and conduct the probe with the help of forensic experts. Following the request, the Pirbhore police sealed the office.

Asrar Ahmad, the station house officer of Pirbhore police station, said: “There can be a conspiracy behind the incident.”

The main administrative office of BN College is located in a large hall. It is adjacent to the principal’s chamber and has four offices, including the cash section, accounts section, academics section and admission section.