Row over fee in pvt coaching centre

• 15 students arrested
• OUJAC stages a dharna at institute

Hyderabad: A tussle between a private competitive examination coaching centre and aspirants turned violent over the fee structure in the city here on Monday.

Around 500 aspirants staged a protest at Shine Study Circle at Ashok Nagar in Hyderabad alleging that the institute had unreasonably hiked the fee by Rs 10,000 for the group coaching. An aspirant alleged that when they pleaded with the management to roll back the hike for groups coaching and cut down on the fee for civil coaching which run into lakhs, the management manhandled the students. “The management hit us with a tubelight and bricks and used filthy language. Three students were hurt in the clash,” said Ramesh, a victim.

According to an eyewitness who is studying in the RC Reddy centre, the students barged into office and abused the management. “As the students used unparliamentary language, the institute’s staff threw a tube light and bricks onto the students,” he added.

The students of Osmania University Joint Action Committee, who learnt that the management hails from the Seemandhra region, staged a protest at the institute demanding the arrest of management. Aspirants demanded that the government should ensure a uniform fee structure in the institutes. “Every year, the management increases the fee by Rs 2000, but this year, the fee hike had gone up to Rs 10,000. There has to be a regulatory body to fix the fee for the private coaching centres also,” said Vinay Kumar, an aspirant.

With a huge crowd gathering in the place and the traffic going haywire, police personnel had a tough time managing the agitating students.

“As the things were going out of control we had to arrest the students. About 15 students were arrested and sent to Chikadpally police station. Appropriate cases will be booked on the students and they will be sent to remand,” said ACP Amarkanth Reddy. When contacted, a spokesperson of the institute refused to comment.