Political patronage and lack of administrative will are said to have spurred a section of B.Tech students of Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) to unleash violence on the main campus here.
The varsity authorities are yet to file police complaint against miscreants who had allegedly went on the rampage at the university hostel on Tuesday. According to officials, no complaint was filed because the police had already taken action.
The police registered cases against 51 students for their alleged involvement in violence in which police personnel and vehicles were attacked during a clash between members of the Students Federation of India (SFI), Kerala Students Union (KSU), and another group, Malabaris. Senior faculty members told The Hindu on condition of anonymity that senior-level administrators seemed hesitant to act tough. “Nobody wants to ruffle political feathers by initiating stringent action against those involved,” they said.
Teachers pointed out that no action was taken against students who had unleashed violence on the campus in the second week of January. The police had registered a case of attempt to murder against 18 students and 40 others on the charge of carrying out retaliatory attacks. An inquiry committee was constituted to probe the incident, and it had recommended follow-up action too. The administrators themselves admitted that the committee was yet to submit its report.
The authorities have also failed to ensure law and order, especially at B. Tech hostels, they said. The Sahara hostel was alleged to be the hub of anti-social activities with the police recovering weapons during raids on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, V.K. Ebrahim Kunju, MLA, who represents the Kalamassery constituency, raised the Cusat incident in the Assembly. He said in a release that the Chief Minister had promised to take stringent action against those involved in the incident.