Professor dragged by hair sparks massive student unrest:Nearly 4,000 students protested after video surfaced, revealing inside story of escalating tensions at VIT campus

After the night of violent protests, arson, and extensive vandalism at the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) University campus in Sehore, the situation has now stabilised. Considering safety concerns, the university administration has announced a holiday till December 8. Police forces from Sehore and Ashta have been deployed on campus. An FIR has been registered against Assistant Professor Prashant Kumar Pandey, whose actions allegedly triggered the chaos, though he has not yet been arrested. What was the reason behind the vandalism, arson, and disturbance at the VIT campus? How did Professor Pandey incite the students’ anger? What is the inside story of this whole matter? Read the report… How the unrest began: Food and water complaint turns violent On November 25, around 10 pm, students from Hostel Block No. 8 approached Assistant Professor Prashant Pandey to complain about poor-quality food and contaminated drinking water in the hostel mess. Instead of addressing the grievance, Pandey allegedly lost his temper, dragged students by their hair, slapped them, and humiliated them.
A student recorded the incident on his phone, and within an hour, the video had spread like wildfire across the campus. Rumours of three student deaths fuel anger Around the same time, unverified notifications began circulating on students’ phones claiming three deaths due to jaundice on campus. Although the management later dismissed the reports as baseless, the combination of the assault video and death rumours was enough to ignite a massive wave of anger. Campus erupts at midnight By 12 am, students from Block 7 emerged from their rooms. Within minutes, all eight boys’ hostels and two girls’ hostels had gathered before the Administrative Block. Masked for anonymity, students held a brief internal assembly, after which the campus echoed with slogans of “Inquilab Zindabad.” Students demanded that the accused professor be brought before them. When he did not appear, tensions escalated.
Female students were safely escorted back to their hostels as a precaution. Destruction Begins at 1 am With no response from the authorities, some students returned to their hostels—and the vandalism began. The mob then marched to the Chancellor’s bungalow, breaking decorative lamps and setting a fire near the gate. In the parking area, the violence intensified: The night sky glowed orange as flames rose high. CCTV centre targeted to avoid identification The crowd then headed for the surveillance centre, fearing that CCTV footage could identify them. They stormed inside, destroying: Nearly all CCTV cameras across the campus were vandalised.
The guards’ cabin at the main gate was also smashed. Despite over 150 security guards on duty that night, none were able to confront the massive crowd. Police arrive at 3 am At 2:50 am, the administration finally informed police.
By 3 am, teams led by Ashta SDOP Akash Amalkar and TI Girish Dubey reached the campus. Forces from five nearby police stations were called in. Officials engaged with students and university management. By sunrise, the protest had subsided, leaving behind charred vehicles and widespread destruction. Campus closed; students evacuate hostels On Tuesday morning, the university emailed students announcing a holiday until December 8. Students began vacating their hostels immediately. Long lines of students with luggage were seen on the road leading out of VIT.
Many from faraway states like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh appeared distressed. A student returning to Ujjain said: The hostel environment is not livable anymore. Leaving is the only option. Some complained that their train tickets were unconfirmed but insisted they would not stay on campus. A female student noted that while basic facilities in girls’ hostels were functioning, the fear in the air made it impossible to stay. Administration denies rumours of student deaths Registrar K.K. Nair stated that news reports of three deaths due to jaundice were completely false. He acknowledged the incident had severely harmed the institution’s reputation. Police: “No prior intimation from management” SDOP Akash Amalkar said that police were informed only at 3 am, long after violence had escalated.SDM Nitin Kumar Tale added that he received no prior alert from the management, despite having inspected the campus a day earlier. The police have registered a case against Assistant Professor Prashant Pandey for assault, but he remains at large. The management has promised an internal inquiry and action against him.