Prayagraj: An official at Allahabad University (AU) indicated that tensions are high on campus following the death of a student who died after drinking water from a water cooler near the Students' Union building two days ago.
Additional forces have been called in after hundreds of students went on a destructive spree and protested violently on Wednesday, misbehaving female faculty members and damaging property.
The students asked for the resignations of the VC, Registrar, DSW, and proctor and demanded an investigation into the allegations.
They demanded that the deceased person's family be compensated as well.
According to students, Ashutosh Dubey, 22, a final year B.A. student, reportedly drank water from a water cooler near the students' union building on the Arts Faculty campus after class.
Dubey collapsed while drinking water. He was rushed to SRN hospital, where he was pronounced 'brought dead'.
The students claimed they had to carry Dubey in an e-rickshaw since AU authorities had failed to supply an ambulance in a timely manner. Another claim was that campus security had barred the e-rickshaw from entering the campus.
Dubey’s father has filed a complaint against the university administration at the Colonelganj police station.
Angry students first blocked the busy Motilal Nehru Road, and then they blocked the Library gate of the Arts campus, preventing anyone from entering or leaving the AU campus. A bunch of student leaders went around to all of the other departments and forcefully closed them up.
They also went to the proctor's office and got into a heated fight with the proctor and his team.
Students in the Sanskrit department smashed earthenware pots, furniture, and more. The women faculty members of the department were also allegedly assaulted and manhandled by these individuals.
Videos of their violent behaviours were shared widely online as well. They also damaged the glass panes of the almirah and doors of the Central Library.
The father of the deceased joined the students who had blocked the library entrance in their protest.
The protests ended when Dubey's father's application, in which he blamed Dean Student Welfare Shanti Sunderam and Proctor Rakesh Singh responsible for his son's death, was accepted by the police. Police have assured registering a complaint on the basis of the application.
Jaya Kapoor, AU's Public Relations Officer, responded by saying the institution was not negligent because an ambulance was sent out right after they found out about the incident.—Inputs from Agencies