Theft in Calcutta University Girls' Hostel, students raise questions on safety

Kolkata, Aug 17 (IANS) A theft was reported from Calcutta University Girls' Hostel, triggering panic among the boarders. The police said that an unidentified youth entered the room of a female boarder and stole her mobile phone and bag.

Terrified by the incident, Sayantani Chakraborty, third-year chemical engineering department, reported the incident to the police on Sunday morning. The incident took place on Saturday night in the Calcutta University hostel on Mahatma Gandhi Road in north Kolkata.

According to the student, she was sleeping in her room on the third floor of the hostel. She woke up to the sound of something falling.

"When I looked around, I saw someone was trying to steal something after entering the room in the dark of night. All my belongings were scattered here and there. Immediately I lunged forward to catch him. There was a scuffle. He pushed me to the ground and fled by climbing down a pipe," said Chakraborty.

The student from Rajabazar Science College, which is affiliated to University of Calcutta, said no immediate action was taken after informing the hostel super.

"I informed the hostel superintendent and secretary of the college about the whole incident. But no action was taken," she said. The student lost one mobile phone, a bag and some money.

Following the incident, the security of the girls' hostel is under question. Questions are also being raised about how the youth entered the hostel room without being noticed. The police are also examining the CCTV footage in the hostel.

"An investigation into the incident has already been started," said an officer of Amherst Street police station where the complaint was lodged.

Hostel superintendent Chhayarani Murmu however denied the allegations made by the student.

She said, "I asked where the thief was? She said the thief has fled. I went around with the security guard. Then I told her it is too late to go to police station. Therefore, we went to the police station ourselves in the morning. I didn't have the police station number. Therefore, I could not call the police officers."

Meanwhile, members of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP)- students' wing of Trinamool Congres- staged a protest outside the hostel on Sunday morning demanding adequate security measures in the hostel.

--IANS

sch/pgh