The students of Sambalpur University boycotted classes protesting the abduction bid on a girl student on Tuesday evening.The girl of the Chemistry department was a new comer to the university and had hardly spent a week in the hostel when she had to face the trauma. Two unknown miscreants attempted to abduct her when she was coming out from her hostel to meet a friend in another girls' hostel.
As per information, the girl was going to the Silver Jubilee Hostel from her own Narmada Hostel to meet a friend for getting some books, when all on a sudden two youths forcibly took her near a temple inside the campus. Somehow the girl managed to escape from the miscreants.
Sources said the sudden appearance of a cobra from near the temple of lord Siva panicked the miscreants who fled from the spot letting the girl off. However, when the news spread in the campus, fellow students were shocked. Irked over the incident and lack of security in the campus, they first ransacked the police out post inside the campus and then blocked NH 53 (connecting Kolkata and Mumbai) at Katapali demanding the arrest of the culprits. However, after the interference of the local administration and police, they withdrew the roadblock at 3 am.
Again, on Wednesday, the students boycotted the classes and sat in a dharna in front of the administrative building demanding the arrest of the culprits, besides safety measures inside the campus. They demanded that the House committee of the State Assembly, which was in Sambalpur, visit the campus for a discussion. District Collector Balwant Singh and SP Prateek Kumar Mohanty rushed to the campus to have a discussion with the students.
SP Mohanty assured to upgrade the existing out post and ensure safety in the hostel. He also assured regular police patrolling in and outside the university.
It is further learnt that neither the girl nor the university authority has lodged any FIR in the local police station pertaining to the case. However, police have suo motto launched a manhunt to nab the miscreants, said reliable sources. When contacted, Sambalpur University VC Prof Bishnu Charan Barik narrated the incident to be most unfortunate. "Academic activities apart, the university will be more careful henceforth towards safety of the students as well," Prof Barik assured.
Meanwhile, the panicky girl has left the hostel on Tuesday evening. It may be mentioned here that in another unpleasant incident five years back a girl student of the university was gangraped in Sambalpur.