The students blocked the Salem-Chennai national highway leading to traffic jam. As efforts by officials, including the Sub-Collector, to pacify them failed, police removed them forcibly, District Superintendent of Police, P. Kannamma said.
They were demanding that students of private colleges should also be made eligible for applying for nursing vacancies in government hospitals.
Cases under IPC were registered against the principals of the seven colleges for offences including unlawful assembly (of students), rioting and wrongful restraint, police said adding the students were taken away in police vehicles and let off later.