Patna, Nov. 22: Important documents vanishing off the shelves seem to be a new challenge for the colleges in the city and Patna University.

Two days after a few persons barged into the administrative office of BN College and allegedly fled with important documents and papers, a file having the records of the appointment of five principals has gone missing from the Patna University’s (PU’s) main administrative office.

A principal of a college said: “The existing principals (whose details were in the file that has gone missing) could be in trouble if their appointments are challenged. The university would find it very difficult to submit papers related to their appointment.”

Sources said the file might have been lost months ago but neither the teachers nor any official had any information about it. The matter came to the fore after a Right to Information application was filed in the university seeking details about the file containing the records of the principals’ appointment.

Acting swiftly, PU vice-chancellor (VC) Shambhu Nath Singh formed a committee, headed by the geography department head Rash Bihari Singh, to look into the matter.

Sources said the missing files could trigger a problem for the varsity administration. The files relates to appointment of five college principals — Dolly Sinha (Magadh Mahila College), Lalkeshwar Prasad Singh (Patna College), Kashi Nath (Patna Science College), Rajkishore Prasad (BN College) and Umesh Mishra (Vanijya Mahavidyalaya). Rajkishore was dismissed on a Patna High Court order.

The PU vice-chancellor said: “The university is serious about the file that has gone missing. Strict action would be taken against those responsible for the act.”

According to records, in February 2009, Shyam Lal, then VC of Patna University, had appointed the principals in the five colleges based on interviews and the selection committee’s recommendations. But a few senior teachers of the PU were upset with the appointments and termed them “unfair”.