The Students’ Congress on Saturday took to the streets over the fake placement row at the Institute of Technical Education and Research (ITER) under the SOA University here.
Demanding immediate arrest of ITER promoter Manoj Nayak and detailed investigation by an independent agency, Students’ Congress activists took out a huge motorcycle rally from the Congress Bhawan at Master Canteen here to the Naveen Niwas.
Tension prevailed near Sishu Bhawan Square when police intercepted the agitators from moving towards the Naveen Nivas. There was a scuffle between the police and the activists, who tried to break the security cordon.
The agitators burnt effigies of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Technical Education Minister Usha Devi. Many activists were taken into preventive custody by the police.
Students’ Congress president Itish Pradhan asked, “If the Chief Minister could order an inquiry into a Rama Devi University incident by the Crime Branch, why cannot he order a probe by the investigating agency into the ITER fake placementsIJ
In another development on the day, the Commissionerate police sought a three-day remand for ITER Dean (Placement) Rajkumar Hota, who was arrested on Friday, for his alleged involvement in the fake placement scam. later, the police were granted two days’ remand of Hota by a court.
Commissioner of Police YB Khurnia said the webpages of three companies, Mitsubishi, Huawai and Mecham, were hacked during the ITER placement drive. A number of people were involved in it. Police are investigating the placement agency’s activities.
Meanwhile, the SOA University authorities in a release said, “Standing by its students who had become victims of few fake consultancy agencies that had provided them recruitment letters for jobs on behalf of nine different companies, the Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University has decided to provide allowance at the rate of Rs 20,000 per month to the affected students for a year with effect from June 1, 2017.”
The SOA authorities further said, “The university also assures the students that the actual expenditure incurred by them towards their visit to the cities to join in different companies would be reimbursed by it.”