150 NSUI members booked for unlawful assembly, rioting at COEP hostel

Pune: The Shivajinagar police have registered a case against 150 National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) members for allegedly forming an unlawful assembly, rioting and criminally trespassing into CoEP Technological University hostel premises on Friday, deputy commissioner of police (Zone I) Krushikesh Rawale said.College hostel’s chief administrative officer Raju Tukaramji Pachkor (60) lodged the complaint, according to which Pachkor is responsible for the hostels and their facilities.The COEP hostel complex has 10 buildings, housing around 800 female and 1,200 male students. The premises are guarded, and only registered students, college staff and the rector are permitted to enter the hostel area.According to the FIR, on Aug 19, some NSUI members allegedly entered the hostel premises and recorded a video of a girl student over an issue related to fees without her consent. The student had secured admission under the orphan students’ quota and was paying the prescribed fee, the complaint stated. The NSUI members allegedly pressured her into making a misleading statement and subsequently circulated it, which the college authorities claimed defamed the heritage institution.Two days later, on Friday, students had a meeting with the chancellor. At 7.45am, NSUI members allegedly entered the hostel premises after threatening security guards and started raising slogans.College officials alerted the Shivajinagar police, after which a police team reached the spot and tried to pacify the situation. According to the complaint, the number of NSUI members later increased to around 100 to 150. They allegedly pushed and threatened Pachkor and continued raising slogans.The Shivajinagar police are investigating the allegations and identifying the persons involved in the incident.