Bengaluru PU college booked after students allegedly confined over Dasara holiday request

Bengaluru: Two cases have been registered against the head of a pre-university college in Bengaluru following allegations that students were confined, threatened and later removed from the institution after seeking a holiday for Dasara.

The complaints were filed by parents of students of Presidency PU College on Kogilu Road. Police said cases have been booked against college head Salman under provisions related to intimidation and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.

According to the parents, the controversy began on October 13 when 15 to 20 students approached the principal and requested leave for the Dasara festival. The management allegedly refused the request.

The students attended college the following day, but were allegedly taken to a computer classroom and made to remain there from morning until evening. Their identity cards were reportedly confiscated during this period.

The complaints alleged that bouncers were brought to the campus to intimidate the students. The management was also accused of pressuring them to delete photographs and videos about the college that they had shared on social media.

Parents further claimed that the students were forced to kneel for several hours and were denied food and drinking water while they were kept inside the classroom. They were allegedly released only in the evening after agreeing not to press for Dasara holidays again.

The parents said the college later emailed transfer certificates to the students without any prior intimation. The move has further escalated the dispute surrounding the alleged treatment of the students.

Police said investigations are under way to verify the allegations, establish the sequence of events and determine the responsibility of those involved. The claims against the college management have not yet been proved.