NIT Jamshedpur student swept away in Kharkhai river; classmates protest, seek action against institute

Jamshedpur: A fourth-year student of NIT Jamshedpur was swept away in Kharkhai river in Jharkhand's Seraikela-Kharsawan district on Sunday afternoon, a police officer said. The incident took place at the Asangi check dam within RIT police station limits. The student, identified as Mir Hasin Tanbir, a resident of Masagram in West Bengal's Purba Bardhaman district, had gone to the check dam with a classmate around 2.30 pm for bathing in the swollen river, police said.

Tanbir, 23, a B.Tech (Hons) student of metallurgical and materials engineering, was swept away by the strong current soon after entering the water. His friend tried to pull him out by throwing clothes towards him, but their efforts failed, they said. The surviving student informed the NIT authorities, who alerted the police. A rescue operation was launched with the help of local divers, but Tanbir could not be traced. The river's water level had risen due to continuous rainfall over the past few days.

The district administration, which was informed about the incident around 3 pm, sought assistance from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team from Ranchi to trace the student. The search operation was suspended due to darkness, and police said efforts would resume after the arrival of the NDRF team.

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Students demand accountability from NIT

Meanwhile, NIT students staged a protest outside the campus gate demanding the resignation of the registrar-in-charge. The protesting students alleged that the institute administration was informed about the incident immediately but failed to take prompt action to rescue Tanbir.

They claimed that some students who knew swimming were prevented from entering the river to search for their friend and alleged that the institute did not have ropes or other equipment to assist in the rescue operation. The students demanded accountability from the NIT management, adequate compensation for Tanbir's family and the resignation of the registrar, among other measures.