Protests erupted on the VIT University campus in Bhopal after a suspected jaundice outbreak among students triggered widespread anger over unhygienic living conditions. The situation turned violent late Tuesday night when students alleged that repeated complaints regarding poor food and water quality had been ignored by the administration.
The unrest began shortly after midnight, when students gathered near the hostels and began raising slogans against the university authorities. Tensions escalated rapidly, and a large group of students — estimated at nearly 4,000 — set fire to a university bus, torched two cars and several motorcycles, and vandalised campus property. Some reports claimed that the chancellor’s residence was also attacked, although the university has not issued an official response.
The flashpoint came after around two dozen students fell ill with symptoms consistent with jaundice. For several days before the incident, students had been alleging severe lapses in food hygiene at the mess, along with complaints of discoloured and unsafe water in the hostels. Many students said they were forced to buy bottled water on their own. They also claimed that efforts to raise the issue were met with threats from staff rather than corrective action.
Police arrived shortly after the violence broke out and restored order. Sehore Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar Shukla confirmed that the situation had stabilised and that food samples from the mess would be collected and tested to determine whether contamination caused the illnesses. The university has announced a five-day holiday in the wake of the disturbance.
The incident has fuelled wider concern about campus safety, student welfare, and the accountability of private institutions when allegations of health-related negligence surface.
