QUETTA, Nov 12: Protesting students burned down the principal’s office and another portion of the Bolan Medical College on Tuesday.

Police took at least 20 students into custody for damaging college building and smashing windscreens of vehicles parked on the premises.

According to sources, around 50 students who had failed in the second professional examination started protest in the college claiming that they were declared fail under a conspiracy.

They went to the office of the principal and demanded that they should be declared pass.

When the authorities informed them that the university had announced the results and the college could not change them, the protesting students became enraged and started pelting stones on private and government vehicles. A group of students smashed the windowpanes of the building.

The protesting students ransacked the offices of the principal and heads of two departments and later set them on fire.

Official record, books and furniture were destroyed in the fire.

On receiving information about the protest, senior superintendent of police, Rehmat Khan Niazi, reached the college with a contingent of police and the Balochistan reserve police. The fire brigade also rushed to the college and succeeded in putting off the fire after two hours.

Police used baton-change and tear gas to disperse the students and arrested around 20 of them.

The administration deployed heavy contingent of police and other law enforcement agencies to avert further clashes at the college.

The principal and senior officials of the provincial government were not available for comments.

However, police sources said that 20 students had been taken into custody but no case was registered against them till late night.