Two groups of BHU students clash on campus; petrol bombs, stones hurled

A brawl over a trivial issue turned violent at the Benaras Hindu University campus on Thursday with two groups of students hurling petrol bombs and stones at each other, police said.

A fight broke out between the two groups of students, who live in the Lal Bahadur Shastri and Birla hostels, in the morning which turned violent in a few hours, police said.

However, they didn't specify the exact cause of the clash.

Members of the varsity's proctorial board and guards tried to pacify the students but the situation went out of control after which police were called in, they said.

Senior police officials, including Superintendent of Police (City) Dinesh Singh, soon reached the spot.

Police said they used "mild force" to bring the situation under control. Several petrol bombs, a country-made pistol and a large number of stones stacked inside Lal Bahadur Shastri hostel were found. Stones were also found inside Birla hostel, they added.

The Lal Bahadur Shastri hostel was vacated after the clash in order to prevent any further flare up, they said.

Around a dozen outsiders were taken into custody from the campus for their alleged involvement in the incident, police said, adding that security inside the campus has been beefed up with deployment of a large number of police personnel, including central forces.