The Allahabad University on Wednesday rusticated five students, including four who were booked and wanted in the murder case of former student Rohit Shukla, at a hostel on the varsity campus on April 14. The varsity also issued notice to them seeking explanation on why their degrees or any other achievement not be taken back for their criminal activities. Advertising After the sensational murder on the campus, the varsity administration, along with the police, started a drive to search rooms in all the hostels of the university. They have so far sealed 474 rooms that were illegally occupied in 15 hostels and recovered crude bombs from few of the rooms. Police also took away 25 motorcycles and four cars found abandoned in two hostels. Four of the students rusticated — Saurabh Vishkarma, Abhishek Yadav and Adarsh Kumar Tripathi — all final year post-graduation students, and Prashant Upadhyay, a first year B.Sc student, are on the run since they were named in the murder case. Ashutosh Kumar Shahi of LLB final year was rusticated after crude bombs and material for assembling bombs were allegedly recovered from his room at PCB hostel, said Ram Sewak Dubey, Proctor, Allahabad University. “Notices have been issued to all these five students to reply in 15 days on why the university should not initiate process to take back their achievements like degrees. The four murder accused have been asked to explain about their involvement in the crime,” said Dubey. Advertising “The Vice-Chancellor would form a committee to look into the replies of the rusticated students and decide on the matter,” added the Proctor. “AU issued notices to all students seeking explanation on the rooms that were occupied by others. We have lodged eight FIRs against these students under IPC sections 447 (criminal tresspass) and 448 (house-tresspass),” said Anoop Singh, SHO of Colonelganj police station. Of the six accused named in the murder case of Rohit Shukla, the police have so far arrested a post-graduate student, Prashant Upadhyay, in the case. Police are conducting raids to trace the other accused, including prime suspect Adarsh. “We have obtained non-bailable warrant against all five absconding accused,” added the SHO. Two days before the murder, Adarsh Tripathi had lodged a complaint with the university authorities to check regular visit of the outsiders, including Rohit Shukla, in the PCB hostel. Police suspect that the murder was a result of a dispute between two groups. Rohit was facing six criminal cases.

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