Policemen patrol the residential areas outside Jalpaiguri Engineering College. Picture by Biplab Basak

Siliguri, April 23: The Jalpaiguri Government Engineering College campus turned into a battlefield this afternoon as students clashed with residents of the area and police were caught in the crossfire.

The clash followed a dispute between the students and some local youths over the use of the college playground. Soon an angry mob entered the campus and ransacked the central computer laboratory, classrooms, the principal’s office, library and the extension counter of a bank. The principal’s car was not spared either.

The students retaliated, ransacking 24 houses and setting fire to three shops. Finally, the police had to wield their batons and burst five rounds of teargas to bring the situation under control.

At least 15 students and four policemen sustained injuries, while two local youths are under treatment at the Jalpaiguri district hospital.

Tapas Das, the additional superintendent of police of Jalpaiguri, said no arrests have been made yet.

While the source of the dispute is known, it is still not clear as to which side instigated the clash. Narendranath Burman, a local panchayat member, put the blame on the students. “When the students reached the ground this afternoon they found some youths playing cricket. They asked them to wrap up their game and during the ensuing war of words, one of the students struck Ram Das, a 19-year-old youth, on the abdomen. Another local youth, Asim Das, was also assaulted,” Burman claimed.

When the news of the assault spread, around 200 residents of Subhasnagar, Pareshpalli and Sanjoynagar colony attacked the college.

The students, however, have denied the allegations saying it was the local youths who had abused them first.

The principal of the college, J. Jhampati, also defended his students.