Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday ordered the state education department to form a high-level inquiry committee to probe the circumstances leading to the accident and the premature death of seven students of the Assam Engineering College (AEC) in Jalukbari on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. It has also been decided that the Principal of AEC and the Superintendent of the concerned hostel would be asked to go on leave till the inquiry is completed and the report is examined by the government.
The chief minister has also asked the education department to constitute a committee to look into the present system of election in colleges
To prevent the recurrence of any such incident, which is potentially life-threatening to the student community, Sarma has asked the education department to constitute another committee to strengthen discipline, rules, and regulations in hostels of the educational institutions.
The committee will also look into strict enforcement of, hostels timings, complete prohibition of alcohol on hostel campusess, and prohibition of extended stay of ex-boarders of college hostels. The committee will also recommend ways for the promotion of healthy community life within the hostels.
At least seven students were killed and six others were seriously injured after a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) rammed into the divider and collided head-on with a goods carrier coming from the other direction in the Jalukbari area in Assam’s Kamrup Metropolitan district. There were a total of 10 occupants in the SUV, all of whom were sixth-semester students of the AEC, Jalukbari, Guwahati.
According to the statement of the Jalukbari Police, the over-speeding SUV, coming from the Azara side of Kamrup Rural district, lost control and rammed into the divider and crossed over to the other lane of the road, and collided head-on with the goods carrier. The car was being driven by one of the deceased students. Three occupants in the goods carrier were also seriously injured.