Police enter FTII after students gherao director

Pune

Police today stormed the premises of FTII here tonight to disperse a group of striking students who had gheraoed director Prashant Pathrabe.

Police were called by the Film and Television Institute of India registrar at around 11 pm as the students refused to end the gherao. It was not yet clear as to what action police had taken and whether the gherao had ended.

Tension prevailed in the campus as about 40 students gheraoed Pathrabe in his office this evening, refusing to leave.

When contacted, Pathrabe had told PTI earlier in the evening that he had been gheraoed by the students, but was “safe”.

The FTII Students’ Association (FSA) has alleged that the assessment was politically motivated and aimed at getting rid of about 50 inmates belonging to the 2008 batch on the ground of “overstaying” due to incomplete projects.

The strike by left/Congress/AAP supported FTII students against the appointment of TV actor Gajendra Chauhan as chairman of FTII society entered 68th day today.

With inputs from PTI