Patna University vice-chancellor Y.C. Simhadri on Monday said that he feared for his life.

A group of All India Students' Federation (AISF) members barged into Simhadri's residence on the Patna University campus before his bodyguard R.D. Paswan fired in the air to disperse the agitators.

"I am quite afraid after the incident as the AISF members entered my residence with an intention to kill me. It was around 1.30pm. I was meeting some guests from New Delhi in my chamber on the ground floor when some students along with the AISF cadres carrying sticks entered my residential campus silently. The students first broke the main entrance gate of the VC's bungalow, entering the house. Assuming that I was on the first floor, the AISF students reached my bedroom. However, failing to locate me, they broke the glass of the entrance gate and shouting slogans threatening me," Simhadri, 65, said.

Police said FIRs had been lodged from both sides. "As per the information, a group of AISF activists barged into the VC's residence on the Patna University campus, shouting slogans. Most of them were carrying flags. The vice-chancellor was at his residence then. With the activists trying to get close to the vice-chancellor, his bodyguard fired a shot in the air inside the residence in order to disperse the crowd. Hearing the shot, the activists retreated and ran back towards the main gate. All angles into the incident are being investigated and legal action will be taken against the activists as well as the bodyguard," deputy superintendent of police (town) Kailash Prasad said.

However, Simhadri defended his bodyguard Paswan, a constable-rank officer. "The agitating students were somehow stopped by staff members of the VC residence. Paswan, who was present at the spot, sensing danger, flashed his revolver threatening the students. If he had not been there, any major incident could have occurred. My wife was in the house too," said the vice-chancellor, who took over the reins of Patna University in 2014.

Neeraj Kumar, an employee at the VC's residence, said the students just forced themselves in. "There were two private security guards at the main gate but it seems that they did not see the trouble brewing up. We suddenly saw a whole group of students rushing towards the house and we locked both the doors. However, they broke in and climbed up the staircase which led to the shot being fired," he added.

The AISF members, on the other hand, claimed that they had been attacked by the constable with an intention to kill. "We had gone to meet the vice-chancellor but his bodyguard just fired at us. It is fortunate that the bullet did not hit anyone. It was an attempt to kill us," Sushil Kumar, an AISF member, said. However, Sushil did not have an explanation as to why did they enter the VC's residence without a permission.

The AISF members, along with other students' organisations, were protesting against the suspension of eight students of College of Arts and Crafts last month.

The trouble started at College of Arts and Crafts on April 21, when a student, Vishvendu Narayan Singh, was allegedly beaten up by a contractor working at college campus over some trivial issue.

When Vishvendu along with other students reached the principal's office registering complaint, principal Chandra Bhushan Srivastava allegedly refused to hear the grievances.

On April 25, the students again reached the principal's office with their problem. However, the principal, who was in a meeting, allegedly got angry and suspended the students.

Principal Srivastava had said earlier that some college students along with AISF members had tried to make him hostage as he refused to listen their unwanted demands. According to the principal, the students were suspended by the university on the request of the college administration.