Student union elections at two colleges in Odisha’s Jajpur district have been cancelled after bomb attacks and rising violence heightened security concerns on campuses, with Vyasanagar Autonomous College also closing its campus and ordering hostel residents to leave.
Unidentified persons allegedly hurled bombs at the principal’s office and a boys’ hostel at Vyasanagar Autonomous College in Jajpur Road on Wednesday night, a day after the election notification was issued. No injuries were reported in the supplied report, but the incident led the college’s election and academic committees to unanimously cancel the students’ union poll.
The college was closed from 1 pm on Thursday until further notice. Students staying in its hostels were directed to vacate the premises by Friday morning. Police reached the campus after the incident and deployed a platoon in and around the institution to prevent further disturbances.
Ashis Sahoo, inspector-in-charge of Jajpur Town police station, said police had registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Explosive Act. “Raids are underway to identify and arrest those involved,” Sahoo said. Police were examining CCTV footage from the campus and nearby areas to identify those responsible. No arrests had been made by Thursday evening.
Sahoo said strict action would be taken against those responsible for creating panic and disturbing public order. The police response includes increased surveillance at other educational institutions in Jajpur district as authorities seek to prevent similar incidents ahead of student elections.
The disruption has affected more than the election schedule. Closing the campus and evacuating hostels has temporarily altered teaching, residential and administrative operations at Vyasanagar Autonomous College. The decision also places campus authorities, police and student representatives at the centre of managing security during a period of heightened tension.
A second institution, Upendranath Sarada College at Khairabad, also cancelled its students’ union election. In a notification, the college said the decision followed a unanimous resolution of its staff association because of “unavoidable circumstances” prevailing on the campus.
The two cancellations came amid concerns over violence linked to student elections in the district. While the police investigation into the Vyasanagar incident was continuing, authorities had not announced a revised date for either election. The immediate next steps are the identification and arrest of those involved, examination of CCTV footage and continued police surveillance around educational institutions in Jajpur.
