PATNA, Aug. 5 -- Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) chief Rajesh Ram and National Students' Union of India (NSUI) national chief Vinod Jakhar along with NSUI state president Jaishankar Prasad Singh (Suraj Yadav) and dozens of student leaders were arrested by the police while they were leading the students' march towards the chief minister's residence here on Tuesday. The march taken out from Gandhi Maidan was organised by the NSUI to highlight alleged police excesses against students during recent agitations over exam paper leaks, police lathi charge across the state and use of AK-47 rifles to scare away student protesters. Soon after the students, also owing allegiance to All India Students Association (AISA), Students' Federation of India (SFI) and All India Students' Federation (AISF), took out the peaceful march from JP roundabout near Gandhi Maidan to gherao the CM residence, the police intercepted and used water cannons to disperse them. The police took the state Congress president and NSUI leaders and others under custody, when they tried to cross the barricade near Akashwani on the way to Dak Bungalow. Later, they were released from Kotwali police station. The students were demanding immediate and unconditional withdrawal of cases against the students for participating in Bihar Bandh and other related protests against question paper leaks and irregularities in the conduct of NEET examination during July 20-26 in Bihar. The students were also protesting the Centre's bid of 'saffronisation' of education and demanding qualitative upgrade of educational quality in the state. Demonstrations against alleged irregularities in the NEET exam and broader paper-leak concerns began in Patna around July 22-23, when police deployed water cannons near Gandhi Maidan as marchers headed towards Raj Bhavan. A statewide bandh called primarily by the AISA and Left student groups on July 25 turned violent in several districts. Clashes involved stone pelting, damage to vehicles and injuries to both protesters and police personnel. In Siwan, a constable fired rounds from an AK-47 near JP Chowk, who was later suspended pending inquiry after videos circulated widely. NSUI and Congress leaders said their protest against the police crackdown would be carried out later in a more intensified way, if the state government did not concede to their demands. At a separate event, NSUI national in-charge Kanhaiya Kumar at a press conference said the preliminary report of a fact-finding team constituted by the Indian National Congress (INC) painted a deeply worrying picture for democracy. The team had visited Patna, Siwan, Jehanabad, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga and other districts, speaking to injured students, their families, eyewitnesses and administrative officials. Kumar alleged that police had openly disregarded the law and police manuals while crushing peaceful student protests. Lathi-charges, tear gas, firing and large-scale arrests had taken place without the required statutory procedures or clear orders from magistrates or competent officers. In Siwan, excessive force and the use of inappropriate weapons were alleged. Evidence of proper medical examination of the injured, arrest memos and other legal formalities was often missing. Minors, girl students and even individuals unconnected to the protests were allegedly held illegally, with families not informed in time and production before courts delayed....