Bhubaneswar, July 25: Two youths, including a first-year postgraduate student, were injured after a group of criminals had attacked them with sharp weapons on Utkal University campus here today.

The attack is said to be the fallout of a clash between two groups of students on the campus yesterday. Following the incident, hundreds of students had blocked the National Highway No. 5 outside the university for around two hours throwing traffic out of gear.

The incident took place around 3.30pm when one of the victims, Mahesh Prasad, a first-year PG student of history, was going with Ashok Naik, a PG course aspirant, on a two-wheeler. While Prasad suffered injuries to his fingers, Naik's shoulder was hurt. Both of them were rushed to Capital Hospital from where they were referred to a city-based private hospital.

As the news of attack spread on the campus, hundreds of students blocked the highway, demanding immediate arrest of the criminals involved in the attack. The agitators also demanded stringent action against the non-students, who have been entering the campus at will.

Last night's incident, despite police deployment on the campus, had, however, raised question over security arrangements. "Non-students have been entering the campus and creating disturbances. Though we have been demanding restrictions on the entry of non-students on the campus, university authorities have failed to curb their entry," said Susant Behera, a student.

Deputy commissioner of police Satyabrata Bhoi said two cases had been registered in connection with yesterday's clash. "We have detained two persons in this connection," said Bhoi.

Sources said the campus had become tense due to the conflict between two groups of students belonging to the student wings of two political parties over a student's admission. Prithviraj Dalbehera, the student concerned, has been allegedly denied admission by the authorities despite having topped two entrance tests conducted by the varsity for its departments of library science and commerce. Prithviraj alleged that the authorities had refused to admit him whereas students having comparatively lower marks had been given admission.

A group of students alleged that Prithviraj had forged certificates and was involved in leaking of some entrance examination question papers. It was also alleged that Prithviraj had used a proxy for writing his entrance exam papers. On the other hand, Prithviraj's supporters claimed that there was political pressure behind denial of his admission.

Postgraduate council chairman R.K. Bal said the decision regarding Prithiviraj's admission would be taken only after taking legal opinion on the matter. The admission for all departments except commerce has been over. "We have kept a seat vacant in the library science department in case the legal opinion is in favour of Prithiviraj," said Bal. The admission process for the commerce department has also begun and will be over soon, he said.