The security staff in the control room would keep a round-the-clock watch on "suspicious persons" moving around the premises to guard against theft of important research documents, IIT Kanpur Registrar Sanjeev Kashalkar said.

"The committee in charge of security would install CCTV cameras at important places in the institute and within two months, the premises would be well-guarded," Kashalkar said.

He said research of "national importance" was being done at the institute and there were apprehensions about their security.

The cameras would be placed at the entrance and exit points and faculties having a regular inflow-outflow of people, he said.

The institute has reported a spate of burglaries of computers and laptops from some faculties and theft of mobile phones of students.

A person arrested for theft allegedly told police on interrogation he was a member of a gang who had stolen "several important documents" from leading scientist and educational institutions.