Uneasy calm fills buzzing Azam Campus after pupils stay away

Pune: Always teeming with students, parents, teachers and general public, Azam Campus which hosts over 25 institutions, wore a deserted look on Tuesday.
There was heavy police bandobast and roads leading up to the campus from all sides in Pune camp had been closed since Monday night.
While the college security personnel on the campus said many students who live in the hostels had left for their homes on Tuesday morning, some parents were there to take their daughters home.They said their daughters were scared after Monday night when hundreds of people barged into the campus complaining about negligence on the part of college authorities.
Security officer Akhtar Peerzaday said, "The crowning of our students is a shock to all of us. We all know many of them personally. The twin sisters who died used to come on a bike together, stop their vehicle in front of the gate and then put on their identity card and always call out to us while entering the campus. The college collects a fine of Rs 100 if they do not wear their I Card once inside college. One of the boys who died used to call us 'chacha', always come along with his friends and talk to us about random stuff."
Afsar Quereshi, a member of the college management, said, "There was a huge crowd here comprising parents, relatives and neighbours. Everybody is shocked and it is natural they thought the college was negligent. But it is not so. We got a call from one of the staff members around 5pm on Monday and immediately all management members reached the college campus. Ambulances were sent from here and Shahid Inamdar, another management member left for the spot. He reached there at 7.30pm. In the meantime, we were coordinating with police, staff and hospital officials."
As per the college's official site, Azam Campus has 28 institutions, 26 buildings and 25,000 students in it. Maharashtra Cosmopolitan Education Society (MCES) which runs the colleges is headed by Peerpasha Husaini Ab. Razak Inamdar, PA Inamdar.
Girl students also complained that they were told to vacate the hostels on Tuesday morning. "Nizam sir had told us to leave the hostels before noon. This is not the first time. A few months ago, when there was a theft in the hostels, we were told to leave without any notice for some days," said a girl student who did not wish to be named.
Nizam Akram, chief rector of the hostels, said, "We have never told anyone to leave. Instead, we have told them to stay back. Only students of Unani College were told to leave as their principal has postponed the cultural festivals by a week. Hence, they have nothing to do here."
A graduate student residing in the hostel said the hostels had started emptying on Tuesday morning. "There was a huge crowd yesterday night. We were not allowed to go out for security reasons. It was scary. The crowd was very angry and talking about destroying the college. All those who stay in nearby places like Mumbai have left for their home town. Even many of the ladies who provided us with tiffins have cancelled work today. We have told our friends residing outside to deliver food for today."
Moinuddeen Igrissi had come from Mumbai on Tuesday morning to take his daughter home. "My daughter is a BDS student. Last night, due to the huge crowd, she got scared and called me. So I have come to pick her up. Many parents have come. We are waiting for permission from the hostel warden. Plus there is no indication as to when the college will reopen as today there were no classes and even tomorrow there won't be any classes."
One of the tiffin providers to the hostel said, "It was very hard getting past all the police barricades. Plus many students have left unannounced. The girls are scared as the entire campus has suddenly become very quiet. Only the ones from foreign countries or very far off states are remaining."
Late on Monday night there was a commotion on the campus prompting police to keep strict vigil in and around the campus and shut down vehicular movement on all the public roads leading to Azam Campus to avoid any untoward incident on the campus.
Deputy commissioner of police (Zone II) Pankaj Dahane, assistant commissioners of police Milind Mohite and Vasant Tambe and staff of Swargate, Sinhagad, Dattawadi, Cantonment and Market Yard police stations were pressed into the bandobast.
A few stones were hurled at the gates of the campus late on Monday night but no one was hurt. A group of youths protested against the college administration.
Meanwhile, a group of youths stoned a jeep at Meethanagar area in Kondhwa on Tuesday afternoon and ordered all the shopkeepers in the area to shut down their shops. In Camp area, many shopkeepers voluntarily kept their shops shut on Tuesday.
'We grieve with the parents'
P A Inamdar, head of the college management, refused to comment about the allegation of negligence on the part of the institute. "Now is not the time for logic. There is no ideal ratio of teachers and students required to be followed during trips. We grieve with the parents who have lost their children. Tomorrow the college will reopen. There is a condolence meeting between 11.30am and 11.45am on the main ground. As far as asking the girl students to leave hostels is considered, no official has asked them to leave. There was some problem today with police restricting tiffin providers from entering the college premises. But that too has been sorted."
A few good samaritans
Catering shops near Azam Campus were the only ones open on Tuesday. While one shop has been serving tea and 'poha' to over 150 policemen deployed there since 5pm on Monday, another shop is serving them meals and water. Both are doing so round-the-clock and for free . The meals include non-vegetarian and vegetarian food, the caterers said.
H K Caterers is serving police officials tea and snacks while Shalimar Caterers are giving them meals. Nusrat Shaikh, who owns Shalimar, said, "These police officials were on duty since 5pm and they had nothing to eat. So we thought we should help them. They controlled a potentially volatile mob till after midnight by which time there was nothing to eat anywhere. So we started making food for them."