Swords found in Chennai’s Presidency College, cops avert campus clash

Chennai: High drama unfolded at Presidency College on Saturday after deadly weapons were seized on campus during their annual cultural programme, which was subsequently scrapped midway.

Thousands of students were dancing to the tunes of a light music orchestra when cops announced that the programme has to be scrapped.

Triplicane assistant commissioner Peer Mohammed, who was also one of the guests for the programme, said a major clash was averted as the cops intervened at the right moment.

“We already had heavy protection on the campus with extra personnel on bandobust duty. Our personnel acted on a tip-off that two groups planned to attack each other during the culturals and deadly weapons were sneaked inside,” Mr Peer Mohammed said.

The programme started around 10 am in which Mr Lakshman of Lakshman Sruti orchestra was performing. An alumnus of the college, he has been performing every year since he formed the orchestra. “I am not aware of what happened. Midway through the event, we were asked to wind up for security reasons,” Mr Lakshman said.

The cops seized five aruvals (swords) hidden at different places on the campus after which the cultural programme was scrapped. Students were asked to vacate the campus and police personnel escorted them outside. “We put the students on a bus and sent them home with cops deployed on the buses,” according to an investigating officer. No arrests were made in the case. A few students were interrogated.

Cops avert campus clash

The culturals at Presidency College was on with police presence. “We already had heavy protection on the campus with extra personnel on bandobust duty. Our personnel acted on a tip-off that two groups planned to attack each other during the culturals and deadly weapons were sneaked inside,” Mr Peer Mohammed said.

The programme started around 10 am in which Mr Lakshman of Lakshman Sruti orchestra was performing. An alumnus of the college, he has been performing every year since he formed the orchestra. “I am not aware of what happened. Midway through the event, we were asked to wind up for security reasons,” Mr Lakshman said.

The cops seized five aruvals (swords) hidden at different places on the campus after which the cultural programme was scrapped. Students were asked to vacate the campus and police personnel escorted them outside. “We put the students on a bus and sent them home with cops deployed on the buses,” according to an investigating officer.

No arrests were made in the case. However, a few students were interrogated, police sources said.

It may be recalled that last year, the college was closed indefinitely after students clashed on campus with deadly weapons. Students blame the bus route culture as the main reason for these attacks. Principal of the college, Paramananda Perumal, was not available for comment.