Campus elections took a contentious turn in Bhubaneswar as Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) President Ipsita Sahu was picked up by police from the Rama Devi Women’s University campus on Thursday while student union voting was underway.
Her detention triggered immediate counter-protests from supporting girl students outside the university premises.
Allegations and FIR Details
The police action followed a formal First Information Report (FIR) lodged at the Saheed Nagar Police Station.
According to the complaint filed by Pratiksha Dash Mohapatra—the ABVP presidential candidate for the Rama Devi University elections—alongside three other students, an altercation took place early in the morning:
- The Incident: The complainants alleged that around 7:00 AM, while they visited the IG Hostel on campus to check on an unwell peer, BCJD President Ipsita Sahu and BCJD presidential candidate Fatima Khatun intercepted them.
- Misbehavior Claims: The FIR asserts that the student leaders subjected them to abusive language, behaved aggressively, and physical scuffles ensued.
Protests Erupt on Campus
Following Sahu’s detention by local law enforcement, groups of BCJD supporters gathered to voice their outrage against the administrative and police handling of campus voting.
While polling across various institutions has largely seen heavy security, tensions at Rama Devi Women’s University underscore the high-stakes political rivalry defining this year’s student union elections across Odisha.
Police forces remain deployed around the campus to prevent further escalation.
