Pitched battle in LU over petty issue

REVENGE To avenge thrashing of a student, scores of hostellers create ruckus on campus and in proctor’s office

LUCKNOW: In a major clash on Monday, two students of Lucknow University and their supporters fought a pitched battle on the campus over a petty issue. More than 100 inmates of Acharya Narendra Dev hostel came out and created ruckus on the campus and later inside the proctor’s office.

The university has lodged a police complaint against several students.

The brawl started from cashier’s office at 1 pm. Sources said Anurag Srivastava of LLB first year slapped Sumit Singh of BA final year for jumping the queue while depositing fees. Anurag and his two friends Raghvendra Pratap and Vipul Baliyan caught hold of Sumit, an inmate of student of Acharya Narendra Dev Hostel, and thrashed him.

Sumit in turn called more than 50 boys from AND Hostel and targeted Anurag who had by then taken shelter in the proctor’s office. The hostellers dragged him out and manhandled him in the presence of proctorial board members. In the process, the irate hostel inmates also beat up a research scholar who tried to pacify them.

The university administration had to call police for intervention. Even in the presence of the police, Anurag was beaten up by AND hostel inmates. The incident left several first year students shocked as they had never seen such anarchy before.

University proctor Prof Manoj Dixit said that vice chancellor SB Nimse had ordered stringent action against the rowdy elements. The university would look into CCTV footage and those identified would face serious consequences. He said that the university was prepared to close down the hostel for some time if necessary.

Dixit said that indiscipline would not be tolerated and students may have to pay a heavy price if they did not mend their ways.

The brawl has once again exposed the university’s vulnerability and laxity on the part of the administration to check a petty dispute from snowballing.

Timely intervention by university administration could have helped avoid the small fight from escalating.