Vehicles set ablaze, Chancellor’s bungalow damaged: Student protests rock VIT Bhopal over jaundice outbreak

The university is situated along the Indore-Bhopal highway in Madhya Pradesh’s Sehore district.

According to local police sources, the protests escalated after around two dozen students fell ill with jaundice symptoms in recent weeks. The university, meanwhile, has denied claims that students died of jaundice.

The situation escalated when approximately 4,000 students gathered on the college campus and allegedly set multiple vehicles ablaze and caused significant damage to university property, including the chancellor’s bungalow. (Special Arrangement)

A student claimed, “The protests at the university escalated due to the management’s consistent suppression of student complaints without providing clear responses. Despite repeated attempts by students to discuss the jaundice outbreak and concerns about food and water quality with university officials, no concrete assurances or actions were taken.”

Students at the hostels reported “mistreatment by staff and guards whenever they raised these issues, including threats and physical assaults aimed at silencing them”.

“This neglect, indifference, and aggressive response to legitimate concerns fueled anger among the student body,” the student claimed.

By nightfall on Tuesday, frustration boiled over into violent protests, with students gathering at hostels and the main entrance, shouting slogans against the management and expressing their outrage over the administration’s failure to address critical health and safety issues.

Police teams from Sehore and neighbouring areas were deployed to regain control and prevent further damage.

As per local student sources, the students also accused the university administration of allegedly ignoring repeated complaints about unhygienic conditions and poor-quality food served in hostels. “Many students also said they had to buy bottled mineral water due to unsafe drinking water at the campus,” said a student.

So far, neither the university administration nor district officials have issued any formal statement on the outbreak or the violence. Police have stated they are investigating the cause of illness, assaults, and property damage, with further action pending the inquiry.

VIT Registrar, K K Nair, said, “The allegations that several deaths have taken place due to jaundice are baseless. No deaths have taken place in the university due to jaundice. There have been some cases of jaundice reported in the university. They were given proper medical care. The situation is not alarming. We have tested the food and water material again and again, they (samples) have been found to be healthy. These allegations are motivated, mischievous and to create confusion.”

Police have stated they are investigating the cause of illness, assaults, and property damage, with further action pending the inquiry.

Superintendent of Police, Deepak Shukla, stated that the “situation on campus is currently normal”. “For safety reasons, the college has been declared closed until November 30. Many students have already left for their homes. A list of sick students in the hostel is being compiled, and steps will be taken to resolve their problems by receiving their applications,” the officer said.

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