BHUBANESWAR: Tension prevailed at two colleges in the city as student groups clashed with each other in separate incidents on Tuesday.The clashes were reported in BJB (Autonomous) College and Maharshi College of Natural Law between students of the respective institutes over ‘trivial’ issues.At BJB college, two groups of students of department of business administration had a scuffle with each other over a cake-cutting incident that took place two days back.
Principal of the institute Prof Gulam Moinuddin Khan said two days back, a student’s birthday was celebrated at the department and a cake was brought by some of his classmates. “However, another group of students were unhappy with the photographs on the cake and a heated argument ensued between the two groups. This led to a clash between them today,” he said.
Following the clash, one group detained three members of the other group in the department. However, one of them managed to escape from the room and informed Badagada police. Police rushed to the spot and rescued the other two and brought the situation under control.
The principal informed that faculty members of the department have been asked to speak to the students and solve the matter. If the students refuse to budge, an inquiry committee will be called on Wednesday to look into the incident, he added.
Likewise at Maharshi college, two groups of Plus II second year students fought with each other over personal enmity, leaving one injured. The two groups of students had clashed a few days back and on Tuesday, while entering the college, they fought again.
College authorities intervened and asked them to go to their classrooms. While one group went inside, another stayed outside the college gate. “After the class got over, one group of students came to us and said that their rival students were waiting outside the campus to beat them. As the students refused to vacate the campus unless the ones outside the gate were removed from the spot, we had to call the police to bring the situation under control,” said principal Prof Manju Patnaik.
Till reports last came in, the students who were outside the campus had been detained at Saheed Nagar police station. IIC Manoj Kumar informed that all of them are minors and their parents have been called for discussion.