Hundreds of students waited outside the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) near Bhopal to go home on Wednesday, a day after they protested against allegedly contaminated water and unhygienic food on campus, torching several vehicles and vandalizing campus property.
According to police, more than 3,000 students protested on Tuesday evening at the campus in Madhya Pradesh’s Sehore district after several students fell ill with jaundice allegedly due to poor quality of food and water. Students torched an ambulance, a bus and at least three cars and vandalized the hostels, the Chancellor’s residence and various other parts of the campus.
Police forces from various nearby stations reached the campus in the night and brought the situation under control, Ashta Subdivision Police Officer of Ashta Akash Amalkar told The Hindu.
“The local SDM (Sub-Divisional Magistrate) and other senior officials spoke to the students and heard their concerns. The students were assured that their problems would be addressed and necessary action would be taken,” Mr. Amalkar said, adding that adequate number of police personnel remained deployed in the campus.
Mr. Amalkar also said that a First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against Warden Prashant Kumar Pandey and five other staff members on charges of assault based on a student’s complaint. The FIR was lodged under Sections 190(2), 296 A, 115(2), 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
“We have also received a video in which Mr. Pandey and some security personnel are seen beating up some students. We have initiated legal action and will question them based on further investigation,” he said.
Following the violent protests, the university administration declared a holiday until December 8, prompting students to leave in a hurry.
However, VIT Bhopal registrar KK Nair said the campus walkout was not forced and only classes were suspended.
“We have more than 12,000 students from all over the country. So if anyone wants to stay on campus, they can do so,” he said, adding that the situation is calm now.
Mr. Nair also said that at least 33 students fell ill with jaundice in the last one month and were being treated at Chirayu Medical College and Hospital in Bhopal.
Some students claimed that they had been complaining about the poor quality of food and water for over a month, but the university authorities did not address their concerns, forcing them to resort to protest.
“There has been no transparency in the matter from the administration and students often face disciplinary action that can jeopardize their careers. Even on Tuesday evening, senior students were aggressive after a faculty member beat up a first-year boy,” said a final year B.Tech student waiting for a taxi outside the campus.
“The administration is also lying about the number of sick students. In fact, about 200 students have suffered from jaundice in the past few weeks,” said the student on condition of anonymity.
A senior police officer who was present in the campus also said that some security personnel hit a few students on Tuesday night when they were protesting.
However, Mr Nair denied that the jaundice outbreak was due to water contamination. “All our water sources are connected to RO (reverse osmosis) purifiers and we have been conducting tests at least three times a day since the problem surfaced. On Tuesday, a team from the health department also collected samples from across the campus and the results are satisfactory,” he said.
Mr. Nair also categorically denied the claim that three students had died of jaundice and called it a disinformation campaign against the university.
“A girl from Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh) fell ill and went home on November 3. She died two days ago of TB (tuberculosis) and it was confirmed in her medical reports. Those making these claims have conveniently omitted her illness and are presenting her death as jaundice-related,” the registrar said, adding that all 33 students admitted to the hospital have been discharged.
The vandalized items and places also included various laboratories and equipment, lifts and CCTV cameras, mess and food stores, Mr Nair said.
Published – 26 Nov 2025 16:45 IST
