Tension escalated at Ongole Medical College (OMC) when two factions of the third-year (2020 batch) students clashed on the campus on Monday, November 20 and Tuesday, November 21, reports The New Indian Express.
According to the report, the clash left one student injured and subsequently hospitalised. A video of the altercation reportedly went viral on social media, prompting the administration to identify and counsel the involved students, restoring order.
Despite the intervention, the two groups clashed again later, engaging in stone-pelting outside the college premises. Subsequently, Ongole Taluk police rushed to the spot, controlled the situation and began an investigation after both the groups lodged complaints against each other.
As per the report by TNIE, Ongole Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) V Narayanaswamy Reddy, along with the college principal, Dr Yedukondala Rao, and CIs Lakshman and Bhaktavasthala Reddy, spoke to the media, shedding light on the incident.
Elaborating on the case, the DSP said that the conflict originated from a complaint by one group about substance abuse on campus. Following a probe by the Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB), nine students were suspended from the boys’ hostel by OMC authorities. The penalised students, nursing a grudge, subsequently targeted the complainants, leading to the recent violent clashes, he explained.
The DSP clarified that the disputes were not rooted in caste-based issues and debunked reports of ganja or narcotics involvement circulating on social media. Students from both factions have been taken into custody, and investigations are ongoing.
He added that students from both groups have been taken into custody and an investigation is underway.
Urging parents to look after their children, the DSP cautioned against spreading or believing in misinformation that could unnecessarily heighten tensions.
Earlier, too, there were clashes between two groups in the college over petty issues and attempts were reportedly made to tonsure one of the students. We had registered cases against both groups and serious action will be initiated on them based on the investigation, the DSP explained.