Police on Wednesday detained two employees of Ranchi University for allegedly assaulting two journalists who went to the campus to cover students’ unrest over regular delays in opening the examination department counter.

The police took action after an FIR was lodged by one of the journalists, Chandan Bhattacharya of ETV (Bihar-Jharkhand), who sustained head injuries.

Bhattacharya was first rushed to the district hospital and then RIMS where he had to be administered eight stitches.

S.N. Mandal, officer in-charge of Kotwali police station, said the accused had been kept in the lock-up.

“We have kept the two university employees in the lock-up. They will be produced before court and sent to Birsa Munda Central Jail for 14 days,” he said.

In his FIR, Bhattacharya said he along with two other journalists — Sandeep Kumar of Kashish News and Anjani Kumar of News 11 — had gone to the university after receiving information about a students’ stir owing to the late opening of the counter in the examination department.

“While we were trying to click pictures of the department, Mohammed Kaifi and Surya Bhusan Shahbadi, along with five other employees, used abusive language and assaulted me with a rod. When Sandeep and Anjani tried to save me, they were attacked as well,” Bhattacharya said.

None of the university officials, including vice chancellor Ramesh Kumar Pandey and pro-vice chancellor Kamini Kumar, was available for comments.

A varsity source said the two men who were detained were associated with the examination department.

“Police have detained Pushkar Kumar and Surya Bhushan Shahbadi, associated with the examination department, for attacking the journalists around 11.30am,” the source said.

He said Shahbadi had a criminal background and action had been taken against him for brash behaviour when A.A. Khad was vice chancellor.