Almost a month after the principal of BBA College at Palanpur in Bansakantha district eloped with a 19-year-old girl studying in third-year, angry students from across the city held demonstrations on Saturday.

Students, teachers and parents burnt effigies of Principal Milind Patel (33) and demanded strict action against him. Haresh Chaudhary, leader of the Students Rights Protection Committee of Banaskantha, said, “We forced all the eight colleges operating in the campus to shut down.” A student from the college added: “We had complained about the two being seen together six months ago, but the college management took no action.”

According to the details of the case, Patel had visited the girl’s parents on October 7 and convinced them to send her to a seminar to Ajmer. The two eloped on October 8 and the girl’s parents lodged an FIR with the police on October 16.

Palanpur City Inspector A J Gondaliya said: “The girl’s mother has said in the FIR the principal misled her daughter. He is married and has a 10-year-old daughter.” He added they cross-checked with the organisers of the seminar and found that Patel never attended it. College Campus Director MV Hathi said Patel was on leave for two days for attending the seminar, but has not turned up since then. “He has been stripped of his powers for remaining absent without informing the authorities,” he said, adding the authorities are contemplating legal action against Patel.