Bhubaneswar, May 25: The higher education department is considering a probe into the alleged placement scam at Siksha 'O' Anusandhan University as protests by duped students continued for the second day today.

The students today also launched a fast-unto-death, alleging that the varsity authorities were unresponsive to their demands.

Higher education minister Ananta Das said the state government would consider action according to law. "Educational institutes should be careful regarding fake consultancies that play with the lives of students during placement drives. If anything unlawful happened in this case, appropriate action will be initiated against the culprits," he said.

Opposition leader Narasingha Mishra echoed Das's statements and said he would raise the matter in the Assembly if other students cheated in a similar manner approached him. "Allegations of fake recruitment drives have come up against many institutes. Stringent action should be taken against organisations involved in such fake drives. The state can also make necessary amendments to bring such matter under the purview of law," he said.

The agitating students today locked the entrance to the institute and scuffled with police. They also did not allow faculty members to come out of the institute.

"Students recruited by nine companies found the call and joining letters to be fake. We have been sitting on dharna in this sultry weather, but the authorities are not even discussing the matter with us. We tried to meet the vice-chancellor, but he refused," alleged an agitating student.

The authorities, on their part, have set May 31 as the deadline to choose between the three options they have made available to the students as compensation. The varsity has offered to waive tuition fees for MTech courses and also one-year course fee for MBA courses for interested students. Similarly, they have offered to engaging them as teaching assistants for a period of one year, or till they get jobs, with a monthly stipend of Rs 20,000.

The cops have also started a probe after varsity authorities lodged a formal compliant against the consultancy firm. "We have started an investigation and also asked the university authorities to provide all documents available and the agreement that was in place with the consultancy," said police commissioner Y.B. Khurania.