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Following the death of a student from Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), Manipal University, after he fell from the fourth floor of a building, local police have decided to fix a cut-off time of 11.30pm for hotels and shops in Manipal.
 
Speaking to Bangalore Mirror, Superintendent of Police Annamalai K said the investigation into the death of the boy is under way. In the meantime, a meeting of all stake-holders, including apartment and hotel owners, wardens, and officials from Manipal University, was held where it has been decided that the cut-off time will be fixed at 11.30pm. About 45 people representing flat owners attended the meeting. Meanwhile, any person found loitering on the streets after 12.30am without any reason will be taken to the police station.
 
The SP himself has been personally doing the rounds every Saturday and on an average at least 100 cases of drunken driving are reported. While so far the special focus has been on weekends, the police have decided to keep a watch on weekdays too.
 
RegistrarManipal Uni-versity Prof G K Prabhu said, "We will communicate to our students that they need to be inside the hostels by midnight. The library is open till 11.30pm and we will give them a half-hour’s time for them to reach their destinations. We will also tell them that the police will take strict action against those found wandering without any reason after 12.30am. Parents too will be informed of the same.
 
Meanwhile, the Super-intendent of Police is expected to interact with the student council soon, he said. Abhimanyu Badrinarayan, an MIT student said, "Students generally getting out past midnight is definitely an issue of concern. For MIT it is not an issue as students are generally in by 10.30pm. However, medical students could be affected if they want to eat after 11.30pm. For them, the deadline is midnight," he said.
 
According to a complaint filed by Rajashekar Reddy, on Sunday his son Praneet Reddy, 20, from Andhra Pradesh, residing in Room number 403, Mandovi Emerald, fell from his room balcony at about 3.30am. He was seriously injured and immediately rushed to KMC Hospital Manipal for treatment. However, he died at 7.30am.The father felt that few of his friends could have pushed Praneet from the fourth floor. A case has been registered at the Manipal police station.
 
Sources claim four students including one from the hostel were partying at the apartment well into the night. They could have been drunk. It is learnt that the University has decided to take action against the three other students.