A video grab showing FTII students holding the institute's director captive inside campus on Monday
The students arrested from Pune's prestigious Film and Television Institute have appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for intervention, claiming they have been "hassled, threatened and victimised by the government machinery". Institute director Prashant Pathrabe, whom they allegedly kept confined his office for seven hours, justified the action saying they had "tortured him".
Here are 10 developments in the story:
The students were arrested at around 1.30 am following a complaint by the institute's director Prashant Pathrabe. They have now been released on bail.
"I was illegally confined for 8-10 hours. The students used interrogation techniques, they were disrespectful and abusive, they asked me the same question six-seven times - no human being could have answered that," Mr Pathrabe told reporters, adding, "I wonder how they can be called students."
Mr Pathrabe has named 17 students, including three girls, and also mentioned 30 other students in his police complaint. "Six people had been asked to come for talks but 40-50 people came," he said.
A three-member team from the information and broadcasting ministry will visit Pune tomorrow to assess the crisis. "Students holding a kangaroo court...FTII cannot function in this manner. It is now a systemic crisis, truly undemocratic behavior," ministry officials said.
Students have been charged with obstructing a public servant from doing his duty - a non-bailable offence - besides destruction of property, voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation and rioting.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has taken up the students' cause, commented in tweets: "Our students are not criminals Modiji" and "Silence.Suspend.Arrest:ModiMantra for AcheDin."
Some 200 students of the institute have been on strike for 70 days against the appointment of small time TV actor Gajendra Chauhan as chairman of the institute. They have refused to return to their classes until Gajendra Chauhan is removed.
"Removing the chairman would set a wrong precedent. Do students decide who their administrator be anywhere?" top ministry sources told NDTV.
Several students have also opposed the manner in which the outgoing batch is being assessed and has been asked to leave the hostel. Only half have completed their final year projects. The institute says the students should have long finished their course and left.
Students, alumni and film personalities have said that Mr Chauhan, who has acted in B-grade films, does not have the credentials for such a prestigious post. The central government has rejected charges that Gajendra Chauhan was appointed because of his proximity to the ruling BJP.
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