BURLA: A group of PG students of Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) in Odisha’s Sambalpur district pelted stones at the house of its director Aswini Pujahari as a protest against his style of functioning, police said on Saturday.
Tension gripped Burla after news spread in the locality of attack. The public then gheraoed Burla police station demanding the arrest of the PG students.
Police said more than 150 students shouted outside the house of Pujahari and pelted stone late on Friday night. They also removed the lights fitted outside his house to prevent the director from recognising the students.
Prior to the attack on director’s house, the PG students beat up the attendant of a patient after he was caught recording the delay in providing treatment by the students on duty at the casualty ward. “We suspect the recording irked the PG students who ganged up and assembled outside the house of Pujahari and hurled abuse at him before pelting stone,” said a police official.
On the other hand, all students of VIMSAR staged a dharna inside the college premises. The PG students also held a press conference and denied the allegation of the attendant even though the latter confirmed it.
They protested the action of the director, who has been pulling up doctors for doing private practice during duty hours. He also used to inform parents of students who are either turning up late for their class or bunking it.
Pujahari said to have recognised some students and claimed that it was part of a wider conspiracy. “The students could have been instigated by vested interest groups who are peeved over him in bring discipline in the institution for the improvement of the hospital and the medical college as well,” he added.
Meanwhile, police have registered a registered a case and investigation in on. Armed police forces have been deployed outside the residence’s of director and in VIMSAR campus to avoid further untoward incident.