Students ransack the camp office of BPUT in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, May 17: The capital bore witness to two incidents of campus violence today as students of various engineering colleges affiliated with Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) ransacked the university camp office at Gandamunda demanding publication of results.

In another incident, a private engineering college at Phulnakhara on the outskirts of the city was declared closed indefinitely following student unrest.

Around 200 students under the banner of BPUT Students’ Organisation (BSO) blocked roads and stopped college buses at Nalco Square, Rasulgarh and Jayadev Vihar. They later reached the camp office where they tried to meet the vice-chancellor to air their grievances. However, when told that the VC was in a meeting, angry students ran amok damaging furniture and potted plants.

“The results of fifth and seventh semesters have not been published but the authorities have already issued the exam schedule for the sixth and eighth semesters. According to BPUT guidelines, there ought to be a gap of one month between the date of result publication and the subsequent exam,” said student Dwarika Mohanty. This apart, the results of about 2,000 students in the second, third and fourth semesters, who had applied for rechecking, had been withheld for the past 10 months, rued the students.

In a memorandum submitted to the varsity authorities later in the afternoon, the students demanded release of welfare funds to needy students under BPUT. They also demanded establishment of a central placement cell, uniform fee structure, holding of exams at home centres and adherence to the academic calendar.

In the second incident, students of Synergy Institute of Technology ransacked property on campus apparently because the college authorities had been late in providing them with a vehicle to carry a student injured in an accident to hospital yesterday. The student succumbed to his injuries today.

The institute authorities said the college would reopen after a discussion with the students and their parents. A case was registered by the Balianta police following a complaint from the college authorities.

Principal of the college Kapileswar Mishra said a few unruly students had ransacked the college campus and destroyed property worth around Rs one crore. “The driver was a bit late last night, when they demanded a college vehicle. But what the students did today was unfortunate. We have lodged a complaint with police,” said Mishra. The Balianta police rushed to the spot after being informed by the college authorities. Inspector in charge of Balianta police station Sanjay Pattnaik was injured while attempting to stop the students from causing further damage.

A first-year student, Nikesh Nirmal, was hit by a vehicle yesterday while he was returning to hostel from a nearby ATM counter.