Phone Theft Row Sparks Clash at Andhra Nursing College

KAKINADA, Aug. 23, 2026 — Tensions flared at a nursing college in southern India over the weekend after a dispute over a missing mobile phone escalated into a violent confrontation between local students and peers from the country’s northeastern states.

The incident took place on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at the S.K. College of Nursing in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, following the alleged theft of a phone belonging to a student from the Northeast on August 21.

According to officials and local media, the disagreement turned physical when allegations of theft led to heated arguments, with students throwing buckets, slippers, and other objects. Viral social media footage showed clashes inside the women's hostel premises and raised allegations of bias from the college management. At least one student sustained minor injuries during the melee.

The college currently houses 41 students from northeastern states, including 31 from Manipur (22 female, 9 male), 9 from Assam (8 female, 1 male), and 1 female student from Nagaland.

The regional friction prompted swift political and administrative intervention. Following inquiries from political leaders in Manipur, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed senior law enforcement and administration officials to secure the scene.

Kakinada District Collector M.N. Harendhira Prasad and Superintendent of Police G. Bindu Madhav visited the campus on Sunday morning, August 23, to mediate the conflict and retrieve the missing device.

As of Sunday, August 23, 2026, officials confirmed that the situation has been brought fully under control. As a precautionary measure, 31 students from northeastern states, including Manipur and Nagaland, have been temporarily shifted to a separate, secure hostel facility with their consent, while local students remain housed separately.

Police personnel remain deployed near the college premises to maintain calm and ensure student security.