After clashes at GBU hostel, GIMS students head back home
Clashes broke out on Sunday night at the Munshi Premchand hostel of GBU where MBBS students of GIMS have been given accommodation as GIMS hostel is still under construction
Following clashes that broke out between students of Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) and security guards of Gautam Buddha University (GBU) in Greater Noida on Sunday night, at least 200 medicos residing at the hostel on GBU campus have left for their homes, GIMS officials said.
Clashes broke out on Sunday night at the Munshi Premchand hostel of GBU where MBBS students of GIMS have been given accommodation as GIMS hostel is still under construction.
Police arrested 15 people from the spot, including four students and 11 security guards. As many as 36 people were injured, of which 22 were students and 14 were security guards, said police.
“Our parents are extremely concerned for our safety after they saw the news about the clashes at our hostel. Almost 80% of the rooms are empty now, as students have gone back home. Each student has been getting calls from their worried parents after they saw the videos of the clashes,” said a first year MBBS student of GIMS.
According to director of GIMS, Dr (brig) RK Gupta, summer vacations of the MBBS batch students, which was to begin next week, has already started .
“A one-week summer vacation for MBBS students was scheduled from June 11 to 18, but we advanced the dates and the vacations started on Monday itself,” said Dr Gupta.
He added that the gates of the hostel building have been completely damaged; hence, students are not feeling safe in the hostel. “The GIMS administration needs time to carry out repairs; so summer vacations have been announced. The gates, windows and doors of several rooms are completely damaged, and these will have to be replaced,” said the director, adding that a total of 270 GIMS students -- 170 men and 100 women -- reside in the hostel.
He said of the 22 students who were injured, 18 have been discharged from the hospital while four others, who suffered severe fractures, are still under treatment.
On Monday, several students were sitting on a protest demanding that they be provided another hostel, away from the GBU campus. By evening, the students were pacified and sent back by the GIMS management.
Dr Vishwas Tripathi, GBU registrar, said the university on Tuesday suspended the 11 security guards arrested by the police. “An internal three-member committee has been constituted to probe the incident. We have sent a notice to the security agency to cooperate with the committee’s investigation. In addition to that, the 11 security guards who were allegedly involved in the clashes and have been arrested by the police, have been suspended until the inquiry is concluded,” he said.
The 14 security guards who were injured have been discharged from hospital, he added.
Meanwhile, police are scanning CCTV footage of the incident to identify more suspects. One security guard who was captured on video firing with his gun has been identified and police teams are working to arrest him.
“We have applied for custody of the arrested security guards on Tuesday. Further, more suspects are being identified through CCTV footage and mobile phone camera footage. One security guard who was captured on video firing in the air during the incident has been identified but is absconding at the moment. Police teams are working to nab him,” said Sarita Malik, station house officer, Ecotech-1 police station.
