The Commissionerate Police on Sunday arrested seven persons in connection with the clashes between two student groups on the Vani Vihar Utkal University campus which had begun on Friday evening.
The arrested persons were Rakesh Kumar Tarenia (23), Jitendra Pradhan (25), Arun Kumar Mansingh (26), Soumya Ranjan Sahu (25), Sangram Keshari Patra (29), Smruti Ranjan Rout (20) and Pabitra Kumar Nayak (20).
Sources said some of the arrested persons are students of the university and have political links.
Ahead of the upcoming students' union elections, it was a planned incident by the attackers to create fear psychosis among their rivals.
The Saheed Nagar police have identified non-students in the campus and started arresting them after a thorough examination of their involvement in the clashes. Out of the seven persons, police sources said, four youths were arrested on Saturday night after university students blocked the adjacent National Highway demanding action against the assailants.
According to Twin City Commissioner of Police Dr RP Sharma, the police have identified the mischief-mongers and would take stringent action against them. "We have kept vigil on the situation at the university campus by deploying police personnel. We are trying to check staying of non-students in the university hostels. Unauthorised entry of non-students into the campus would be properly examined," said Dr Sharma.
He said the university authorities have been suggested to take security measures to stop entry of anti-social elements into the campus.
Dr Sharma said some gym trainers and musclemen were used in the clashes which the police came to know while arresting them. "We are planning to take action against the gyms which are cultivating anti-socials," he said.
The Commissioner of Police said the police have also suggested the university authorities to design a mechanism to keep mischief-monger non-students at bay. "The university should issue identity cards to its employees and students and introduce a pass system for other persons to sort out the problem," he added.