Rajshahi Polytechnic Institute is going to take punitive action against 16 students over throwing its principal into a pond on the campus.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the academic-cum-administrative parishad recently after the probe body submitted its report, said Principal Farid Uddin Ahmed.

It decided to expel four students, withhold the main certificates of five others for the next five year and give transfer certificates to seven students. All of them are leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL).

The meeting also decided to keep the student politics halted on the campus to ensure a congenial atmosphere and sought cooperation from political parties and police, said the principal.

Those face expulsion include prime accused Kamal Hossain alias Sourav, Raihanul Islam, Murad Hossain and Sajib Hossain.

On November 2, a group of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) men threw their principal into the pond on the campus for his refusal to allow two students to fill up forms for examination for inadequate class attendance.

The incident was captured in a surveillance camera.

The principal filed a case against 50 people with Chandrima Police Station in the city. Later, the case was transferred to Detective Branch of police.

The institute formed a probe body to look into the incident.

Officer-in-charge of the case Mahbub Hasan said they arrested 18 people, including FIR-named five, over the incident.