Imphal, Jan 14: 40 students staying at the hostel of RUDA Academy near Thoubal College ran away from the hostel yesterday night. The incident is believed to be in protest against the expulsion of two Class ten students by the school authorities a month back. Our source reported the school authority stating that there was no argument or misunderstanding between the hostellers and the school authority, and that the hostellers ran off after midnight. Parents of the 40 students are demanding the return of their wards by 5 today afternoon to the school authority and police personnel are investigating the same. None of the students have been traced at the time of filing this report, but a police source revealed that some clues to the disappeared students have been found and are hopeful of tracing them soon. It may be mentioned that three makeshift lines of bed-sheet tied on ends were found hanging from the first floor of the hostel building and is believed that the students climbed down using these lines. Later in the evening police had abled to locate 29 students out of the 40 students from Kaina in Imphal East.