Odisha DG contacts his Tripura counterpart over alleged torture of Odia students

The Director General of Odisha Police R P Sharma has talked to his Tripura counterpart to ensure safety of Odia students there after about 100 students from Odisha were allegedly tortured and harassed at Agartala-based Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan.

The Odisha-based students have been in Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan to pursue their BEd course.

"On the 26th, the moment I got to know about some #Odiya students at Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan being harassed at #Agartala, I spoke with DGP #Tripura. Subsequently the SP visited & has assured security & help. Closely monitoring the situation & in regular touch with the DGP there," the Odisha DGP's office twitted Thursday.

On Wednesday, the panic-stricken Odia students and teachers through a video message to their friends and family had alleged that they were attacked by some students at the Sanskrit Sansthan for not participating in a strike during the Ganesh Puja celebrations in the second week of September.

"The Odisha DGP has spoken to his Tripura counterpart to ensure security of the students. Prof Radha Madhab Dash, Vice Chancellor of Sri Jagannath Sanskrit University Puri and Parmeswaran B, Director of Higher Education department are visiting Agartala to sort out the matter," Odisha Higher Education secretary B P Sethi said.

"We have taken admission in the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan after clearing the entrance examination. But here the local students and people are harassing us. They have beaten up some of the boys and girl and asked us to leave the institution immediately failing which they have threatened to kill us. We request the Odisha government to come to our rescue as our life is at stake," a girl student said.

Though the incident has been reported to the Vice Chancellor of the institute on September 20, the authorities have not taken any action so far, the students claimed.

They also said that they did not lodge a police complaint in Tripura.