150 college staff held ‘hostage’ for rejecting Holi event request in Indore; 4 students expelled
News Mania Desk / Piyal Chatterjee / 28th February 2025
Four student “leaders” from the Government Holkar Science College in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, were suspended for reportedly taking over 150 staff members hostage after their request to hold a Holi event was denied. The students intended to host the ‘Holkar Ka Holi Fest’ on March 7, which would include DJ performances and a “rain dance,” as per news agency reports. An event was co-sponsored by a civil services examination, which required an entry fee of ₹150.
The college administration denied permission for the event, but the students ignored it and pasted posters on the campus about the event .
“The students had put up posters on February 23, announcing a Holi event at the college on March 7 without the permission of the principal. These posters were removed on the instructions of the college head,” an official said citing an administration’s investigative report.
The students organized a protest against the administration’s choice to take down the posters. According to the report, on February 24, the entrance to Yashwant Hall at the college was locked from the outside, and the electricity supply was also disconnected.
Authorities reported that a gathering of around 150 individuals was in progress when the event occurred, and attendees, among them female professors, were confined for roughly 30 minutes because of loud shouting and jeering by the students.
The college principal, Anamika Jain, stated that an inquiry carried out by the district administration determined that four students were guilty of “serious misconduct.” The inquiry report classified this behavior as a grave violation of discipline and suggested strict measures be taken against the four student leaders. Therefore, all four were dismissed and were told to gather their transfer certificates, she mentioned.
The university was founded in 1891 by the Holkar dynasty that ruled Indore at the time. The district authorities have initiated an inquiry into the event.
