In a shocking incident that could be an eye-opener to a section of students who often prefer to block roads even on minor issues, a woman died inside a SUV she was driving in front of the Utkal University here on Saturday evening during a road blockade by the students in protest against the university PG Council’s decision not to hold students’ union elections this year.
The deceased was identified as Suman, a native of Jamshedpur and working as a teacher in a private school here. She was residing at Gayatri Vihar under
the Chandrasekharpur police station.
Sources said a group of irate students who were protesting the poll cancellation decision suddenly rushed towards her car while she was on way to her house along NH-5 in front of the university.
Suddenly, the woman fell unconscious. At this, the police, who were deployed in the area following the students’ agitation, brought her out of the car by breaking open the door glass and rushed her to the Capital Hospital where she was declared dead by the doctors.
While the exact cause of the death was not yet known, Bhubaneswar DCP Satyabrata Bhoi said the woman might have died of shock after some students rushed towards her vehicle.
Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased arrived here.
The university students withdrew the road blockade following the intervention of the DCP.
On Saturday afternoon, hundreds of agitated students blocked NH -5, locked up the gates of the university moments after the announcement of election cancellation decision.
Earlier in the day, the PG Council cancelled the students’ union elections taking a serious note of a series of student unrest in the campus in last few days.
“There would be no students’ union election this year at the Utkal University. The decision was taken in a meeting today keeping in view the students’ safety in the campus,” said PG Council Chairman Ranjan Kumar Bal.
ABVP State office secretary Manoj Kumar Roul demanded immediate resignation of the university Vice-Chancellor describing him as incapable of conducting elections.
Police forces were deployed in front of the university campus main gate to maintain law and order.
All three major political forces in the campus including BJD student wing BCJD, ABVP and NSUI took to the streets.