Patna: A para-medical course student of Nalanda Medical College, who recently failed an exam, roughed up the head of the anaesthesia department, Dr Ashok Kumar, on Friday morning, in another example of changing dynamics of teacher-student equations.

NMCH superintendent Dr Gopal Krishna told The Telegraph that following the episode an FIR had been lodged at Aalamganj police station against the concerned student. The police came and took the boy into custody but he fled within ten minutes, sources said. But Aalamganj police station house officer Omprakash denied that the student absconded.

"Some students have failed in the para-medical course. One of the students who failed in the exam, Kumar Ajit, is said to have misbehaved with the teacher," Krishna said. "On receiving a complaint, the administration lodged an FIR against the student. This is a very shameful incident."

Repeated attempts to contact the head of anaesthesia department proved futile. He didn't respond to calls on his phone. Anuj, a postgraduate medical student who was present during the incident, said: "I was present in the chamber when two students who had failed in the exam came into the chamber and started accosting sir as they had failed in the exam. Soon after, the discussion became heated after which the two manhandled Dr. Ashok. We somehow defused the situation."

He said students condemned the whole episode. "It is a very unfortunate incident. Few students do fail in exams but it is for their own reasons; teachers cannot be blamed and manhandling teachers for the same is the ugliest thing. Though sir did not receive any noticeable physical injury, this has definitely left him in shock and it would take him time to recover," Anuj said.

A senior doctor of NMCH, who didn't wish to be named, said Friday's incident was nothing less than shocking. "So far, patient's kin used to manhandle us. Now students have done so. I think moral lessons need to be included in teaching," he said.