Bhubaneswar: A sudden deafening explosion at Utkal University’s Vani Vihar campus in Bhubaneswar late on Sunday night triggered widespread panic and intensified security concerns just days ahead of the student union elections scheduled for October 15.
According to sources, The incident occurred around midnight, with reports also describing three loud blasts near Gopabandhu Hostel that sent students campaigning on the premises fleeing in different directions. Although no injuries were reported, the bangs, whether from crude bombs or high-decibel firecrackers, sparked immediate chaos among hostel residents and heightened political tensions on the campus.
Students associated with the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) accused members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) of hurling a bomb to disrupt campaign activities and intimidate voters Rival groups gathered outside the main campus gate and near the hostel, raising slogan. They also gheraoed the entrance while demanding swift administrative and police action.
The BCJD representatives submitted a formal memorandum to senior officers expressing fears for student safety during the campaign period. Angry students also staged a protest at the main gate, criticising the Commissionerate Police for failing to prevent the incident despite existing security arrangements, and a brief scuffle broke out with personnel on the spot before senior officers intervened to restore calm.
Bhubaneswar DCP Saravana Vivek M, accompanied by assistant commissioners and two platoons of armed personnel, rushed to the campus. The DCP inspected the site with forensic and investigative teams to determine the precise cause of the explosions. “We will investigate the matter thoroughly,” he stated, assuring that police presence would be increased around high-density hostels, with intensified evening gate checks continuing until the polls conclude.
He emphasised that student security remains the top priority through the end of the voting process.
Sources further stated that forensic teams are currently examining debris collected from the area, while two platoons of armed police remain deployed on the Vani Vihar campus. Access controls and nightly patrolling have been tightened across all gates and residential blocks.
The episode unfolds against a backdrop of already elevated tensions linked to the statewide return of student union elections after an eight-year gap. Across Odisha, pre-poll disputes over nominations, alleged irregularities and sporadic unrest have led several institutions to cancel or indefinitely postpone their elections. Colleges and universities where the student union elections have been cancelled include Model Degree College in Nabarangpur, four colleges, including Prajamandal Women’s College, in Nayagada district, a women’s college in Kendrapada, Bhadrak Women’s College and Naami College in Bhandaripokhari, Khariar (Autonomous) College in Nuapada, Gop College in Puri, Deogarh Degree College, UK Mahavir College in Pattamundai, Jambeshwar College in Baleshwar and Vyasnagar Autonomous College in Jajpur.
