Bhubaneswar, July 13: Clashes between two groups of students on the Utkal University campus last night left three students injured.

Though the students are tight-lipped about the incident, police and university authorities think the cause of the clash could be war of supremacy between the two groups of the university students’ union.

Two sections of police forces have been deployed at the university campus to thwart any further untoward incident. The university authorities are going to organise a meeting to decide the further course of action if the student unrest continues.

Tension erupted when a group of students allegedly attacked the students’ union president, Tanmay Swain, and his friends in the union office last night. Trilochan Behera, a second-year-law student and Pabitra Mohapatra, a second-year journalism and mass communication student, were injured. Both of them have been admitted to a private hospital in the city.

Swain said there was no provocation for the other group, which included 30 students and non-students.

“They started assaulting my friends with baseball sticks and sharp weapons. We were a few in number,” said Swain. Police said after the incident was reported to them they rushed to the campus and kept vigil there, fearing fresh clash. “We patrolled throughout the night on the campus,” said inspector in-charge of Saheed Nagar police station K.P. Mishra.

However, police forces were removed from the campus in the morning after one group held talks with the university authorities. But around 11am the groups clashed again when Swain’s friends attacked Sangram Keshari Patra, a second-year law student, near Gopabandhu hostel. Patra sustained injuries and was admitted to a private hospital in the city. Swain, however, said Patra and his friends attacked them again in the morning after terrorising the hostel inmates.

“They again came in large numbers with mostly non-students and damaged our motorcycles. They attacked us with sticks and sharp weapons,” said Stalin, a student.

After the clash senior police officials rushed to the campus and imitated talks with the students to resolve the issue. As tension continued, police forces were deployed. The Saheed Nagar police have detained one non-student involved in the clash.

“We hope the university authorities find out a solution to end the tension. We will take steps as per the law,” said a senior police officer.

Vice-chancellor of Utkal University P.K. Sahoo said he along with other office bearers in the university were holding talks with the students find out the exact cause of the clash.