The universities in and around the city have decided to beef up security on their campus.

Suranjan Das, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) of Calcutta University which has seven campuses and sixteen hostels, including eight girls’ hostels, said yesterday’s incident has triggered panic among students. “Kolkata police has been asked to beef up security measures on the campuses and in hostels,” he said.

The Commissioner of Kolkata police, Gautam Mohan Chakraborti, said he has received a letter from Calcutta University requesting increase in vigilance on various campuses and in hostels. “While the university is strengthening its own security, Kolkata police is also increasing vigilance.”

The students at Jadavpur University have, meanwhile, made it clear again that there is a lacunae in the security at their hostels too. Chitrita Kundu, a fourth year engineering student, said the university guest house is close to the single women’s hostel on the campus that houses over 400 girls.

“There is a railway colony behind the hostel and locals pelt stones at women or make objectionable gestures,” she said.

Madhumanti Bhattacharya, a fourth year Bengal Engineering and Science University (BESU) student, said although there have been no security lapses at their campus, the guards at the hostels are not properly armed. “We want more security after yesterday’s incident,” she said. On occasions, there have been cases of theft and sometimes boys play pranks like taking away their clothes from the hostel.