Injured Engineering students dies after five days of coma

Kolkata, Aug 12 (UNI) Soumik Basu,the third year Engineering student of the prestigious Bengal Engineering and Science University(BESU)at Shibpur near here, died today after remaining in coma for five days.

Soumik, critically injured during a clash between two students' unions on Tuesday night, was found lying unconscious in a pool of blood in an open drain near Hostel Number 15 within the BESU campus on Wednesday morning. He was first rushed to SSKM hospital before being transferred to the Calcutta Medical Research Institute(CMRI) here where he died today.

Soumik's unnatural death has brought to the fore several queries about the reasons behind recurrence of terrible violence among the BESU students belonging to rival unions over petty matters like union elections despite preventive steps taken by the authority.

At least 12 students belonging to either the CPI(M) led SFI or the rival Independent Consolidation,sustained injuries when violence first broke out on Tuesday night and then the next morning with rival students attacking each other with hockey sticks,iron rods and other missiles.

According to eye witnesses Soumik sustained multiple head injuries when he tried to flee from one such attack and fell from the second floor varanda of Hostel Number 15. The bright student reportedly lay there unconscious for the next 12 hours before being rescued by his friends and admitted to hospital.

The incident has evoked condemnation from all sections of the society with people demanding an inquiry.

Meanwhile, the Students Fedation of India (SFI) has called a students strike on August 14 to protest Soumik's death.

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