Two scribes hurt in attack by KISS students as both sides trade charges

Reported by Santosh Jagdev

Bhubaneswar, Aug 24:

Two journalists were injured and their cameras and vehicles damaged by some unidentified irate youths outside the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) under Infocity police limits here today while they had gone to cover an alleged illegality in construction of a boundary wall of the institute.

According to Raghu Sahu, the reporter of a local television channel who was injured  in the attack, some unidentified youths of KISS accosted him, his camera person Rabindra Sahu and another camera crew and asked them to stop taking visuals of the place.  When the media persons refused to do so, the angry youths assaulted them and damaged their cameras and vehicles, he added.

“We had gone to the place for coverage after receiving calls from some land owners,who claimed that the boundary wall of the institute had been constructed illegally. They said the boundary wall had been constructed around a piece of leased land having more than 100 plots in it, which they had purchased from the state government some 30 years ago. They said they had requested the KISS authorities to demolish the boundary wall, which obstructed access to their land, several times, but to no avail,” said Sahu.

Inspector-in-charge of Infocity police station Sanjib Satpathy said three complaints had been lodged – one each by the assaulted newsmen, KISS students and the land owners.

“In their complaint, the newsmen said they were attacked by KISS men and students while they were busy reporting the alleged illegal construction of the boundary wall by KISS on the back side of the institute campus,” the IIC said.

On the other hand a counter case has been lodged by the KISS students alleging that the media persons, had shot the activities of girls in their hostels located inside the institute campus without their permission, he said.

“We have registered three cases in this issue. After a thorough investigation of these cases, action will be taken against whoever is found guilty,” the IIC added.

Asked about the incident, a KIIT official declined to comment on the legality of the boundary by KISS. He, however, echoed the version of the students.

“The media persons entered the institute campus without taking permission from the authorities. They also took visuals of girl students inside the campus,” said Ratnakar Pati, the KIIT official.