12 students injured in clash at Gourbanga University

Twelve students of Gourbanga University in Malda were injured when a clash broke out between two groups in the campus around 2 pm on Monday.

Policemen from the English Bazar police station, however, did not enter the campus as the university authorities did not seek their help.

Gopal Chandra Misra, the university’s vice-chancellor, who was in Kolkata, ordered an inquiry into the incident.President of Trinamool Chatra Parishad Jaya Dutta, who is conducting a separate inquiry, said: “Those involved in the clashes will be pulled up and no hooliganism at educational institutions will be tolerated.”

Trouble began around 2 pm when some students attacked their colleagues over an issue and within minutes the university campus started looking like a battleground.

Soon, two groups of students clashed with each other.

In the ensuing chaos, a women student fell unconscious after being beaten up by some students. In retaliation, some students chased up a boy and thrashed him. The boy fell to the ground and began shouting for help, which forced his attackers to flee.

Classes were cancelled at the university and students were seen running for safety within the campus. The commotion continued for nearly half an hour.

Misra, who had come to Kolkata in connection with some urgent work of the university, said 

he has ordered an inquiry into the matter. He would reach Malda on Wednesday and start an official investigation.

Misra added that he also discussed the matter with the Higher Education secretary.

Students claimed that those involved in the clash on Monday belonged to the group of Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury, former minister and chairman of English Bazar Municipality. Chowdhury had recently been removed from the chairman’s post.

The other group, students said, was allied with Biswajit Roy, a Trinamool Congress leader.

Some local Trinamool leaders are backing Roy against Chowdhury in the factional tussle, which has adversely the student community.

Jaya Dutta ruled out the presence of two groups in the university. She said the state Higher Education minister Partha Chatterjee had asked her to ensure that the academic atmosphere does not get disturbed in any educational institution.

“I am conducting an inquiry and the guilty students will be pulled up. Any attempt that affects the academic atmosphere will be dealt with seriously,” said Dutta.