Students take to streets demanding justice for deceased B Ed student

Visakhapatnam: Tense moments prevailed at Andhra University as scores of students took to streets after a B Ed student, V Venkata Sai Manikanta, died.

On Friday, students in large numbers gathered at the AU and demanded resignation of University Vice-Chancellor GP Raja Sekhar.

On September 25 (Thursday), Manikanta, who stayed at Satavahana hostel, collapsed in his room as he was reported sick. When the fellow hostelers called a university ambulance, they found that the vehicle was unequipped with the basic support system. As Manikanta’s friends tried to extend support to him with oxygen while shifting him to King George Hospital for treatment, the B Ed student died.

The students alleged that the university lacks proper healthcare facilities and the student died reportedly due to untimely medical care and lack of oxygen supply.

Raising slogans against the V-C, the students pointed out that the student’s death was the result of sheer negligence of the university administration. They mentioned that there was no oxygen facility in the ambulance or at the varsity dispensary. Despite repeated appeals, they reported that there was no action taken so far by the university to prevent incidents from recurring and VC ignored their requests to improve amenities on the campus. The students and association representatives demanded that the university hospital and healthcare infrastructure should be improved with immediate effect.

Stressing on immediate steps to be taken to upgrade medical support at AU health centre, the V-C informed that a few doctors would be recruited and future course of development will be looked into with the support of a committee formed for the purpose. Walk-in interviews of doctors, nurses and pharmacists are scheduled, he mentioned.

In the meantime, the police had a tough time in restoring normalcy at the campus.

The students and association representatives demanded justice for the family of Manikanta.

Meanwhile, HRD Minister Nara Lokesh expressed grief over the student’s death at the Andhra University. Acknowledging the lapses at the campus, he assured that steps would be taken to rework on them. Expressing concern over disruption of classes by a section of students and the agitation, he warned that action would be taken if the protest was not called off.

Following prolonged protests, the students of AU calmed down after the Vice-Chancellor assured them that action would be taken based on the report submitted by a three-member committee formed to probe into the incident. The committee will submit a report in a week.