St Xavier's College, an autonomous institution of Ranchi University, has from July 1 deputed four new security guards, including two women, taking total strength to six.
With 14,000 students on rolls, the premier college runs intermediate, graduate, BED, postgraduate and vocational courses. It has two gates, the main one being the single entry point.
Recent instances of trespassing spurred the new hires, along with more stringent ID checks of college students, complete with a fine of Rs 100 if a bona fide student doesn't have the ID card or says it is lost.
Security of this elite campus on Purulia Road became a grisly question mark on April 27, 2011, when trespasser Bijendra Prasad beheaded an intermediate examinee, Khusboo Kumari after she spurned his advances.
On Friday, security guards lined up outside campus linking small and big gates of the building to let students in.
Two newly deputed female security guards randomly checked ID cards of girl students. As a few youths zipped two-wheelers back and forth trying to enter the premises, an old security guard, Hari Bahadur, hollered: "Arre kahan ja rahe ho, apna identity card dikhao (where are you going, first show your identity card)." The bikers fled.
"This happens every day," rued Bahadur. "Outsiders pose as college students and try to enter college premises. But, the situation will improve."
Now, six guards work in threes in two shifts each, from 6am to 2pm and 2pm to 10pm.
The new security guards are aware of the 2011 beheading. "We know our responsibility and we are vigilant. We check for weapons or suspicious items," Jyoti Kerketta, a lady security guard said, smart in an olive green uniform. "We have strict instructions to check bags and ID cards," said her colleague Kunti Devi.
Girl students heartily welcomed lady security guards. "They make us feel confident," said Meera Kumari, first-year BCom student.
Asked why the college hired extra guards four years after the 2011 beheading, head of the Hindi department Kamal Bose said they had taken "gradual" steps. "After the tragedy, district police had been deputed on campus briefly. We formed four teacher groups of 10 members each to check trespassers. Over years, from one CCTV camera, we installed five more on campus," professor Bose said.
He added they hired extra security after noticing a recent trend. "Groups of boys saunter inside the campus with bona fide students. This practice had to be discouraged. From July 1 we deployed four extra guards."
Echoing Bose, commerce professor Julius Aind said checking student ID cards was compulsory. "Xavier's College students forgetting to carry or losing their ID cards are fined Rs 100 each. The matter is reported to principal's office, their names are verified in the attendance register and the college issues a duplicate ID."
