Tension prevailed in the Presidency college premises on Tuesday afternoon after three groups aligned according to bus routes clashed with each other, prompting police to enter the campus to restore order.
The clash between students split on the basis of bus routes 6B, 29A and 27H took place even as the cultural fest Kadal Thendral was being held.
On being alerted, senior police officials rushed to the college to ensure that the violence did not spill out into Kamaraj Salai, a VIP route.
“They were attacking each other and even pelting stones at members of rival groups. We were forced to enter the college to restore order and protect people on the stage,” said a police official.
“One inspector, Subrbamani of Chinthatripet police station, was injured in the melee,” said the officer, adding that police sent the students away from the campus in various buses.
“There was no complaint from the students but we suspect that many of them had been injured in the clash,” said the officer.
The police said that a couple of days ago at least two students were injured when they were attacked with blades.
Bus route rivalry seems to be a continuous problem in the city’s colleges.