Patna University finally acted on a Patna High Court directive and cracked down on illegal hostel boarders, a source of headache for their involvement in anti-academic activity, group clashes and eve-teasing.

On Tuesday evening, the Patna University (PU) administration and Pirbahore police raided a post-graduate hostel at Rani Ghat and evicted illegal boarders. Around 30 rooms were sealed afterwards.

"As per high court directi-ons, illegal boarders living in hostels will be removed," PU's newly appointed vice-chancellor Rash Bihari Prasad Singh said. "All such rooms will be sealed and fresh allotment made at the beginning of the academic year in July." The VC said the varsity has prepared a list of hostels and will conduct raids and evict illegal boarders in a phase-wise manner.

There are around half a dozen hostels in Rani Ghat area. PU has already evicted illegal boarders from BN College hostel.

"Rani Ghat apart, the biggest problem for the varsity administration is to evict illegal boarders from Saidpur hostel," a senior PU teacher said on condition of anonymity. "Some illegal boarders are staying at Saidpur and Hathwa hostel rooms with their family members. They avail free electricity and water facility at PU."

Patna University has on several occasions tried to evict illegal boarders from these ho-stels, including Saidpur, but every time the illegal boarders return.

"The varsity administration can successfully evict illegal boarders only if the police files a complaint against those living illegally," Patna University teachers' association (Puta) president Randhir Kumar Singh said. "Also, the varsity and college administrations should conduct regular raids to check for outsiders."

Echoing Singh, a second-year undergraduate student living at Patna College's new hostel said on condition of anonymity: "Many senior students accommodate their guests in the hostel rooms. This is possible because the college administration hardly ever conducts raids."

To tackle the problem of illegal occupancy at Saidpur hostel, the university administration has also decided to develop the premises as the varsity's south block.

Later, Vanijya Mahavidyalaya, which functions from a three-storied building on the Patna College premises, will be shifted to Saidpur. The foundation stone of the new campus was laid in the first week of May by PU vice-chancellor Rash Bihari Prasad Singh and college principal B.N. Pandey. Sources said once the college shifts at Saidpur, security on the campus would be tightened.