The owner of a private girls' hostel and its cook were arrested in Dhanbad on Wednesday morning after 100 inmates staged a dharna against bad food and highhandedness of hostel administration.

The inmates, all students of SSLNT Women's College, started their protest on Tuesday night at the terrace of Sushila Sinha Hostel against the poor quality of food.

A cockroach crawling on the sabzi on Monday triggered the protest, though bad food - stale and insect-infested - had been an ongoing problem the past six months.

On Wednesday morning, as the girls continued with their protest, hostel owner Ranjana Bharti allegedly sent her relatives and cook Raghu, to beat up the protesters.

The humiliated girls went to Luby Circular Road to sit on dharna near the residence of Dhanbad SP Rakesh Bansal.

Around 11.30am, a police team led by Amit Singh DSP (law and order) reached the hostel and arrested owner Bharti and cook Raghu. They are under judicial custody.

Students added despite the "filthy food", hostel authorities hiked monthly charges by Rs 200 effective from May, which meant that instead of the yearly Rs 46,000, each student would have to shell out Rs 48,400. The hostel also employed minors, the girls charged.

"We started a silent protest inside the hostel. But, hostel administration retaliated very badly," said Priyanka Kumari, BA student and protester.

DSP Kumar confirmed police had lodged an FIR against Bharti. <>"Students complained about child labourers working in the hostel, so district child welfare committee Nita Sinha chairperson visited the site but did not spot any minor."

Sinha, on her part, added: "True, I didn't see minors, but the hostel canteen was really very dirty."

Civic guardian Dhanbad Municipal Corporation said it would look into the matter. "Just wait for civic poll results to be out on May 29," said deputy CEO S.S. Chaudhary.