Mysuru: A student of Maharani’s College died of suspected dengue yesterday triggering protests from students who said that they were forced to live at the college hostel that was poorly maintained.

The victim has been identified as 20-year-old Sanchitha S. Aradhya, a second B.Sc student and daughter of Shanthakumar, a resident of Periyapatna. She was staying at the Hostel since the last two years and was suffering from fever for a few days.

Soon after the news of death spread, hostelites staged protests and alleged that Sanchitha, though was suffering from high fever, was not allowed to go home by the hostel warden until she paid the mess bill.

Following advice from doctors, Sanchitha returned to her native place and her parents took her to JSS Hospital where she battled for life for a week. She died yesterday noon.

Students said that for hostel facility, they pay an advance of Rs. 4,000, Rs. 3,000 for maintenance charges and Rs. 800 to Rs. 1,200 as mess charges. “Though Sanchitha was suffering from high fever, hostel warden Latha did not allow her to go home until she paid the hostel fees. Sanchitha could not arrange the money on time. A week ago her parents sent the money. After clearing the hostel dues, she went to her village,” said her roommates.

Students said that they have no access to clean drinking water and their hostels face perennial water shortage and the warden has not taken any measures to supply adequate water.

The students accused warden Latha of indulging in irregularities, and demanded that she be transferred. The agitating students complained that there was no sufficient water supply in the hostel from the last one-and-a-half months. The water was supplied through tankers only when the students took up the issue with the authorities. As many as 350 students are inconvenienced due to poor facilities, they alleged.

“The hostel premises are unhygienic, toilets are in a dilapidated condition and waste collection is not being done on a daily basis. Mosquito menace is rampant and the street dogs stray into the hostel rooms. If any of us fail to pay the mess bill, the warden harasses us and as well as our parents,” they alleged.

“There are over 15 students who are down with fever. Though the doctors have advised them to drink clean water, there was no supply of clean and safe water,” a student said and added that students are abused and threatened whenever issues were brought before the warden.

WARDEN REPLACED

Following protests and alleged negligence, the college authorities replaced warden Latha and has brought in Mahadevaswamy to her place.

District Vector Borne Diseases Control Officer Dr. S. Chidambara said, Sanchitha might have died due to viral encephalitis. “Dengue tests were negative and when we visited the hospital, her condition was very critical. Only after going through the reports, it can be confirmed whether it was a dengue death” he added.