Indian, Afghan students clash at NIT Rourkela, six injured

Rourkela: At least six students, including four from Afghanistan, were injured in a clash between two groups of students at National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela during the annual cultural extravaganza on February 9, 2013 late night, police said.

According to Superintendent of Police, Rourkela Amitendra Nath Sinha, the untoward incident occurred late in the night over hiring of an auto rickshaw when two groups inside the NIT campus hurled objectionable words against one another. This led to clash leaving four Afghan students and two Indians injured.

“On being tipped off, a police team rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. The situation is normal now. We have beefed up security for the Afghan students who were injured and for the rest” added Sinha while briefing about the incident to newsmen at Rourkela police headquarters.

“The situation is normal now. The Afghanistan students are being provided security by the police as they are minority,” Director of NIT, Rourkela, Prof. Sunil Kumar Sarangi, who intervened and separated the groups, indulged in the clash, said.

“We are inquiring into the whole incident as to why the clash took place. I cannot tell you much about it. When I reached the spot last evening and felt palpable tension, my first concern was to provide security to the Afghan students,” he said.

There are 23 Afghan students at NIT, Rourkela against the strength of 4500 Indians. In the clash only 10 foreign students had picked up the fight, Sarangi said, adding all of them were taken to a room to ensure their safety.

All the six injured students, including one seriously injured Indian student, were given treatment at the Ispat General Hospital (IGH) here.

“We are alert over the incident after getting suo-moto information and local police is providing tight security to the foreign students,” informed SP.