Odisha: 5 students held after clashes erupt at KIIT University over ‘eve-teasing’ incident, Sec 144 imposed

Clashes erupted at KIIT University, Odisha  |  Photo Credit: ANI

Bhubaneswar:  Odisha Police on Sunday detained five students in connection with the clashes that broke out between two groups of students at the KIIT University campus on Saturday in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar, news agency ANI reported. The scuffle purportedly broke out over a purported eve-teasing incident, in which a second-year B.Tech student allegedly passed lewd comments at a fifth-year Law student on November 23. 

As per news agency ANI, section 144 was imposed in the campus premises following the clashes. In a statement by the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) university, the groups clashed on Saturday over the alleged eve-teasing incident. As a precautionary measure, the university authorities had vacated the two hostels affected in the incident. It also refuted reports of fatality due to the clash. 

The statement by KIIT University added that University has not been closed sine die as it’s a matter of clashes between groups of students, stating that classes of various schools are functioning normally. A few students had suffered minor injuries during the scuffle, the statement said, adding that the injured wards had been discharged after being provided with first aid. 

"KIIT has a policy of zero tolerance towards such unruly actions and necessary steps have been taken from authorities' side,” the statement read. 

As per reports, on Friday evening, a second-year BTech student allegedly harassed a final-year Law student, after which Law students came in support of her and protested at the BTech hostel, demanding an apology from the alleged harasser. The accused eventually apologised to his senior. 

However, on Saturday, hundreds of students from Engineering Department of the college reportedly barged into the Law School, armed with sticks, beer bottles, bats, stones as well as knives, purportedly in a bid to damage college property and to fight with the Law students.
In the ensuing melee, several students were injured with a few reports suggesting some of the Engineering department students allegedly brutally thrashed a few of the Law students. More than two dozen students were injured in the chaos, reports said.

Eventually, police had to intervene in the matter. By Saturday night, cops had imposed Section 144 in the campus and State Reserved Protection Force was deployed.