Some girl students also alleged that their phone numbers mentioned in their ID cards were leaked
As the hostels of the Islamic University of Science and Technology, Kashmir were being used as a quarantine facility by the administration, many students of the university have alleged that their belongings including electronic items, clothes, ID cards, documents, pen drives among other things have gone missing from their cupboards.
Not only this, but the girl students also alleged that their phone numbers mentioned in their ID cards kept in their hostel drawers, were leaked and they have been getting calls from strangers since then.
The hostels were converted into a quarantine facility around two months ago. Since then, many suspected Covid-19 patients had stayed in the hostels.
“When I went to my hostel accommodation, I found my drawer was broken and my ID card was missing. I used to get calls from many people who were in quarantine which forced me to change my phone number,” said a student of the university.
“Even my headphones and pen drives containing my pictures were stolen. The person who had stolen it could even misuse my pictures,” she added.
The students accused the university administration of mismanagement while handing over the two hostels –H1 and H2 –of the varsity to district administration of Pulwama for administrative quarantine purposes. The two hostels have around 100 rooms.
A student of the Jammu division studying at IUST said that the university did not inform them before handing over the hostel rooms for quarantine purposes.
“When we came to know that the hostels were being used as quarantine centres, we called the authorities who assured us that our belongings would remain safe,” she said.
The students were given two days to collect their belongings from the hostels.
IUST controller examinations and in-charge of hostels, Mohammad Amin agreed that people in quarantine had stolen the belongings of the students and also leaked their phone numbers. “We took up the matter with the district administration and the police,” he said.
Awantipora tehsildar, Zubair Ahmad said that the police have registered an FIR after a written complaint was given by a student who had been getting phone calls from strangers.
“Regarding the missing belongings of students, we have reported the issue to the police after lockers of some rooms were broken,” said Ahmad.
Pulwama deputy commissioner Raghav Langer did not respond to repeated calls.
With inputs from Hindustan Times