I was forced to file FIR: FTII director

FTII director Prashant Pathrabe on Wednesday said that he was forced to file an FIR against the agitating students as they vandalised his office and pushed him around.

"They forcefully entered and vandalised my office. I was also pushed around," Pathrabe told the media here.

"It was a serious incident," Pathrabe said, adding he then filed an FIR at around 9.30 p.m. on Tuesday and the police came to the campus an hour later.

The Film and Television Institute of India director said there were 40-50 students who entered his office as they were not happy with a pro-rata course project assessment of the 2008 batch.

Asked why he approached the police at night, he said he was not well earlier. "I was not well (during the day)."

Post midnight, police arrested five students of the FTII from the campus for rioting, damaging properties and other charges.

For over two months, the students have been protesting against the appointment of actor and BJP member Gajendra Chauhan as chairman of the FTII.