A second-year civil engineering student at Jadavpur University was arrested on Tuesday by the Kolkata Police in connection with an arson and vandalism case, officials said.

“A student has been arrested for allegedly attacking the office of the Shikshabandhu Samiti in Jadavpur. His name is Souptik Chanda,” said an official.

Also, Soumyadip Mahata, a former Jadavpur University student and member of the Democratic Students’ Federation, was arrested again in a case of “Free Kashmir and Palestine” graffiti on the campus. Mahata, who was earlier arrested in an alleged arson incident, was granted bail in the previous case on Tuesday.

The arrests of Souptik Chanda and Soumyadip Mahata sparked protests by students who alleged that they were being implicated in false cases.

The police alleged the wall graffiti by Mahata was intended to incite hatred and disrupt public peace. A case was registered against him under Sections 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) and 152 (acts endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

“We will protest vigorously. Why is the Education Minister not being arrested? Why is the police not investigating when a student was injured by the Education Minister’s car? It is clear that the police are not impartial,” said a protesting student requesting anonymity.

Unrest had erupted after a March 1 incident, when Education Minister Bratya Basu’s car was vandalised at Jadavpur University. During the incident, it was claimed that a student was injured when Basu’s car struck him. Concurrently, allegations surfaced that the Shikshabandhu Samiti office in Jadavpur was vandalised and set on fire.

The situation remains tense, with students demanding a fair investigation and questioning the impartiality of the police.