Four student leaders from the Government Holkar Science College in Indore were suspended for allegedly holding more than 150 staff members hostage after they denied permission to celebrate a Holi programme.

Official sources said that the students had planned to organise the ‘Holkar Ka Holi Fest’ on March 7, featuring DJ performances and a “rain dance”. A civil services examination co-sponsored the event, which also demanded an entry fee of Rs 150.

The college administration denied permission for the event, but the students ignored it and pasted posters on the campus about the event, sources said.

“The students had put up posters on February 23, announcing a Holi event at the college on March 7 without the permission of the principal. These posters were removed on the instructions of the college head,” an official said citing an administration's investigative report.

A protest was organised by the students against the administration's decision to remove the posters. The door of the college's Yashwant Hall was closed from outside and its power supply was also cut off on February 24, the report said.

Officials said that a meeting of about 150 was underway when the incident happened, and people, including female professors, were trapped for about 30 minutes due to heavy screaming and heckling by the students.

Principal of the college, Anamika Jain, said an investigation conducted by the district administration found four students guilty of “gross indiscipline.” The investigation report termed this act as a serious indiscipline and recommended strict action against the four student leaders. Thus, all four were expelled and were instructed to collect their transfer certificates, she added.

The college was established in 1891 by the then Holkar rulers of Indore. The district administration has launched an investigation into the incident.