‘You will die here’: Assam student assaulted at MP university hostel - IGNTU expels six students

• Assam student assaulted at IGNTU hostel, sparking campus protests
• Six students expelled; police registered FIR, investigation ongoing
• Victim received medical care; disciplinary committee reviewing the case

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A 22-year-old postgraduate student from Assam was allegedly assaulted inside a hostel room at Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU) in Madhya Pradesh’s Annuppur district, leading to protests on the campus. The incident took place in the early hours of January 13, police said.

The victim has been identified as Hirosh Jyoti Das, a Master’s student of Economics. Following the incident, the university expelled six students and referred the matter to its disciplinary committee, while police have registered a case and begun an investigation.

According to Annuppur Superintendent of Police Motiur Rehman, Das was assaulted by a group of students who were allegedly under the influence of alcohol. “They came to the hostel room where the Assamese student was staying and assaulted him after an argument. An FIR has been registered against five students, but no arrests have been made so far,” the SP was quoted by The Indian Express as saying.

Das told the police that he had gone to the bathroom around 3 am and found several unknown men inside his room when he returned. “I told them this was my room, but they began asking me questions about my background,” he said in his statement.

The men allegedly asked him where he was from, and when he replied that he was from Assam, they continued questioning him. Das said he could smell alcohol on their breath and had never met them before. “I told them I had completed my graduation and was pursuing a PG course here. One of them said, ‘You will die here’,” he said.

Das said his hands were tied and he was beaten repeatedly. “They kicked me and punched me on my face,” he told police. His roommate initially thought Das was preparing for an NCC activity, but later realised what was happening and tried to intervene. “My roommate tried to save me, but I was already bleeding from my mouth,” Das said.

After the incident, Das first sought treatment at the university dispensary, where his injuries were dressed. He was later shifted to the district hospital in Gaurela, Chhattisgarh, which is closer to the IGNTU campus than the Annuppur district hospital, for further medical care.

Police investigation underway

As news of the assault spread, students staged protests on the campus, demanding strict action against those involved. Responding to the unrest, the university authorities acted swiftly.

A university spokesperson said six students were expelled based on CCTV footage. “Immediate action was taken. The students have been expelled from the university, and the case has been forwarded to the Disciplinary Committee for further inquiry. A complaint has also been sent to the local police for legal action,” the spokesperson said.

Gaurela police were informed by the hospital where Das was treated. Station in-charge Saurabh Singh said the hospital sent a memo stating that a fight had taken place between two groups of students at IGNTU, resulting in injuries.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Umang Singhar alleged that some youths linked to the ruling party consume drugs on the campus and assault students, while the university administration carries out only token action in the name of disciplinary proceedings.

He alleged the university, established to impart higher education, had been turned into a hub of the BJP and the RSS, and irregularities and incidents keep surfacing.

The Congress and the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad, in separate statements, collectively deplored the atmosphere at the IGNTU campus alleging it has become a haven for "anti-social elements, drunkards and junkies".