Students say bloodstains circled by stones on IIT-B premises spark rumours of a blade fight; police unaware till mid-day asks them about it; IIT-B official says mess staff involved
Large bloodstains spotted near hostel zone at IIT Bombay, curiously encircled by stones (right) Students claim a blade fight between mess workers may have led to the bloodshed
Large splatters of blood were found last week near Tansa House on the IIT Bombay campus. The sighting occurred in the Students’ Residential Zone of the Powai campus, and according to students, the bloodstains were oddly circled by stones. A senior IIT-B official whom mid-day spoke to, said there was a fight between two mess workers and that they were not IIT-B staffers.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, some students claimed that a violent scuffle broke out between mess workers, reportedly involving sharp weapons. “The fight seemed to have happened on Wednesday night. But we haven’t received any official communication,” said a student. Another added, “There’s talk that two mess workers fought, and it escalated into an attack involving sharp weapons.”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, the Powai police said they had not received any complaint from the institute. File pic/Getty Images
When contacted, an IIT Bombay official confirmed the incident involved “outsiders”— referring to contractual mess workers who are not campus residents. “They were not IIT-B employees or residents. We have asked the contractor to take necessary steps and speak to the police,” the official said. Surprisingly, despite the seriousness of the situation, the Powai police said they had not received any complaint from the institute.
Senior Inspector Jitendra Sonawane of Powai police said he was unaware of the matter until mid-day shared a video of the bloodstains. “We have not received any report from IIT-B. Since the campus is a central government institute, we cannot enter without their permission,” he said, adding that they have now initiated an inquiry and contacted the institute. “We will investigate what happened and why we weren’t informed.”
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone X) Datta Nalawade also confirmed the matter would be looked into with priority. In recent months, IIT Bombay has tightened security on campus. Students say surveillance has increased, visitor entries are being monitored outside all hostels, and the college has also begun cracking down on auto rickshaws and taxis entering the premises.
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