JAGATSINGHPUR: Police on Tuesday arrested a lecturer of Commerce department in SVM College and six others over the recent clash between two groups of teachers over private tuition.
The arrested persons are lecturer Dhiren Mohanty, Sunil Mohanty, Sarbeswer Swain, Santosh Gochhayat, Suresh Nayak, Prakash Dhal and Susant Das. Dhiren had hired the six persons as his bodyguards. All the seven persons were produced in court.
Jagatsinghpur SDPO Priyaranjan Satpathy said police seized a revolver and six rounds of cartridges from the possession of one of the bodyguards Sunil.
Sources said despite the State Government ban, Commerce lecturers of SVM college are offering private tuition to students and making huge money. Last week, a dispute arose between Dhiren and another Commerce lecturer Jagannath Behera over the tuition issue.
Supporters of Jagannath had threatened Dhiren and even assaulted him in the Principal’s office on Saturday. However, the college authorities did not lodge any complaint against the lecturers with the local police.
Following the attack, Dhiren reportedly instigated the students who staged protest and locked the main gate of the college. Though tension prevailed on the campus, the college authorities did not inform the police.
On the day, Dhiren hired six anti-socials as his bodyguards. Apprehending violence, police suo motu registered a case, rushed to the college and arrested Dhiren and his six bodyguards who were on the campus in an SUV.
The SDPO said a case has also been registered against Jagannath on the basis of the FIR filed by Dhiren. SVM College has been in the news recently for wrong reasons. Tension continues to prevail on the campus as hundreds of Plus Three students of 2015-18 batch are staging dharna for an indefinite period demanding original migration and registration certificates from the college authorities.