Bhubaneswar: Sale of tobacco products and other narcotic substance continues unabated around educational institutes even more than a month after the state's top cop, R.P. Sharma, issued an advisory to ensure that campuses remain crime-free.
Sharma had issued the advisory on January 16 in the wake of the alleged rape of a Bhubaneswar-based student by a hostel attendant on the campus of HiTech Medical College on December 19.
When The Telegraph did a recce on the shops around campuses in Bhubaneswar on Sunday, it found that shops were not only selling cigarettes and other tobacco products, but also ganja, to students. The sale of marijuana was rampant at a number of paan shops located at a slum close to the boundary wall of Utkal University.
While issuing the advisory on January 16, the director general of state police had also asked his force to restrict the entry on non-students to the campus. Yet, most of the campuses of government-run educational institutes are still facing problems caused by non-students. Saheed Nagar police had arrested two non-students on February 11 in connection with group clashes at Utkal University.
Non-students passing lewd comments at women has also become a regular affair on and around campuses, especially of women's colleges and universities, in the city.
"Those who create nuisance in front of the institutes have no fear of the police. They also threaten us with dire consequences when we warn them of police action. The police should increase patrolling frequency to drive out the trouble-mongers," said a student of a women's college.
As many as 86 engineering students were arrested in 2014 for various crimes, including law and order breach. The figures came down to 46 in 2015. However, the number went up again to 96 in 2016, while a whopping 123 engineering students were arrested by the end of November 2017.
A source in the police said that around 80 per cent of the arrested students were studying in and around Bhub-aneswar.
Deputy commissioner of police Satyabrata Bhoi said that police stations had been asked to identify shops selling ganja. "We will also convene a meeting with the authorities of educational institutes to find out specific problems they are facing," said Bhoi.
