Another shootout at Meerut College, student union president hurt

Meerut: In yet another incident of gun violence at an educational institute, Dushyant Tomar – president of Meerut College Students’ Union – was wounded after shots were fired inside the college’s parking lot on Friday. An altercation between two student groups led by Tomar and Gagan Som led to the incident. While Tomar was taken to P L Sharma District Hospital, a case was filed against Som and other unknown individuals. This is the seventh such case involving firearms in college campuses over the past year and half.“I was sitting right where the incident took place. The students were discussing something in a huddle so it was hard to see what happened and who fired the shots, but I heard two gunshots loud and clear,” said Manoj Thakur, who manages the college parking lot.One of the bullets hits Tomar on his hand. “A complaint has been filed against Som and some other persons. Investigations are underway,” said inspector Vijay Kumar Singh of Lalkurti police station.Situated at the high-profile Commissionary Chowk, Meerut College is adjacent to the office of the divisional commissioner. It is just a few metres away from the district magistrate’s office, the district court and the police headquarters. ASP Sankalp Sharma admitted that despite being located in a high-security zone, the college has attained notoriety due to such incidents. “Yes, there is a problem and police are planning measures to tackle it. We intend to conduct checks on students of the college,” he said.