BHUBANESWAR: Tension prevailed on the premises of Gandhi Institute for Education and Technology (GIET) at Baniapatna near Khurda after a group of BTech students was assaulted by the institute’s security personnel leaving six injured on Saturday.
The injured students were admitted to the Khurda District Headquarters Hospital (DHH). Later, a seriously injured student was shifted to Capital Hospital after his condition deteriorated.
The incident was an outcome of an agitation launched by the students over poor quality of food served in the college hostel. The students of BTech third year launched a hunger strike on Thursday. When media persons wanted to interact with the agitating students, they were not allowed to go inside by the institute authorities.
Later, the institute’s Principal lodged a complaint at Khurda Sadar police station alleging that two agitating students had misbehaved with faculty members.
The students were also reportedly threatened by some GIET officials and told to withdraw their agitation. “When the local media reported our protest, the college authorities nursed a grudge against us and engaged hired goons to intimidate us,” an agitating student said on condition of anonymity.
Contacted, Khurda police said it was a minor dispute between Degree and Diploma students of the institute. “Some students of final year Diploma had a fight with BTech third year students over misbehaviour with faculty members. Police have been deployed at the campus and the situation is under control,” Khurda SP Manoranjan Mohanty said.