Online Desk: A prominent government-run technical institute in Odisha’s Berhampur city has expelled seven students from their hostels for allegedly cooking and eating beef. The incident reportedly occurred in Falguni Hostel at Berhampur’s Parala Maharaja Engineering College (PMEC). Five of the expelled students are Muslims, media reports.
The college administration acted swiftly after a complaint from Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) workers and Principal Prof Chittaranjan Mohanty. The Hindu groups accused the students of cooking and consuming beef in their hostel room. However, there has been no confirmation from the college authorities on whether the meat in question was indeed beef.
The Gopalpur police conducted a preliminary inquiry, but it has yet to verify if the students cooked and ate beef.
The notification expelling the students read, “The dean Students Welfare, Parala Maharaja Engineering College, Berhampur, has expelled the following boarders from the respective halls of residence (HoRs), with the approval of the competent authority, for their involvement in restricted activities in Room No B-23 of Falguni hostel on the night of 11-09-2024, which violated HoR Rules and the Code of Conduct.” One of the expelled students was fined Rs 2,000.
The expulsion decision was taken the very next day, that is 12 September. It has stirred confusion among local intellectuals and residents of Berhampur. Many believe the college authorities acted excessively under external pressure, media reports said.
Dr Siba Prasad Das, a well-known surgeon in Berhampur, expressed surprise at the college’s actions, while Hrushikesh Rath, a local hospitality industry professional, criticised the lack of concrete evidence before taking punitive measures.
Political analyst Sabita Mohanty warned that incidents like these could strengthen the saffron influence in the region. She stressed the need for college authorities to base their actions on evidence rather than succumbing to external pressures or biases.