Balasore, Aug. 10: Tension prevailed at the UN College in Soro after a faculty member died on campus today while mediating between two warring groups of students.

The 50-year-old, identified as Ratikanta Behera, was employed in the college as a lab assistant.

Students said today's incident was the fallout of a row that took place on the campus yesterday.

Police yesterday arrested Rahmet Ali, a Plus Two first-year student, from the campus, based on the complaint of Santosh Panda, a Plus Three final-year commerce student. Panda alleged that Ali had attacked him over a past dispute. After Ali's arrest, a group of students affiliated to a particular students' union, today sat on a dharna outside the principal's office. Later, members of another students' union of the institute confronted them.

The principal, along with staff members of the college including the deceased, tried to pacify the warring groups. There was a heated altercation followed by a scuffle. Behera, while mediating between the warring groups, suddenly fell to the ground after complaining of giddiness. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared received dead.

The college's disciplinary committee had recommended holding a staff council meeting. But before the staff council could meet, a students' group staged the dharna, said principal Bijay Mohapatra.

"During the heated arguments, the deceased felt uneasy and fell on the ground while walking towards his room. He was rushed to hospital," said Mohapatra.

"I too felt uneasy during the melee and had to undergo medical check-up at the local hospital," said the principal.

Soro police station inspector-in-charge Parsuram Sahoo said: "The exact reason behind the death is yet to be known. A case of unnatural death has been registered." The cause of the death is yet to be ascertained although post-mortem has been conducted at the local community health centre.

Three platoons of police have been deployed on campus to prevent any untoward incidents, he said.