BHUBANESWAR: Utkal University was on Monday closed sine die following sporadic incidents of violence inside the campus ahead of the students’ union elections. The students were asked to vacate the hostels by evening.The decision of the authorities came after several low-intensity bombs were hurled inside the campus on Sunday.According to sources, the city police held a meeting inside the university on the intervening night of September 17 and 18 and submitted a report to the authorities regarding the law and order situation on the campus.
The students alleged that some of their classmates and non-students affiliated to a political party had been creating disturbance after filing of nomination papers that ended on Saturday for the election.
Commissionerate Police on Sunday evening had imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 outside Utkal University after a group of students protested hurling of three low-intensity bombs near the Vice-Chancellor’s office and ladies’ hostel. Aditya Narayan Satpathy, a student, lodged a complaint with Saheed Nagar police alleging that several youths thrashed him and vandalised his motorcycle outside his hostel on Sunday. “We have arrested Sajjan Samanwaya for beating Aditya outside the hostel,” Saheed Nagar police said.
So far, Saheed Nagar police have registered four cases in connection with the violence in Utkal University.
While the city police have registered a case under the Explosives Act basing on the complaint of the Vice-Chancellor, three other cases were registered on the basis of complaints lodged by the students.This is the second time that poll related violence has led to sine die in the university. In the last incident in 2015, a woman was choked to death in a car near the campus due to student unrest.
Similarly, clashes erupted in Maharishi College of Natural Law in Saheed Nagar on Monday. The police recovered at least two low-intensity bombs inside the college on Monday. Sources said tension started after college authorities rejected the nominations of some students after scrutinising their attendance records. Police forces have been deployed near the college.