Irked with IIM-Amritsar students, man threatens with open fire

AMRITSAR: Students of the Indian Institute of Management, Amritsar (IIM-Am), were left rattled late on Friday night when some of the neighbours living in the apartments rented for them fired in the air and threatened them.The squabble took place in the run up to Union finance minister Arun Jaitley's expected visit to the city on Sunday to lay the foundation stone of the institute's new campus.

Although the neighbours and the students are tightlipped about the incident, police called it a case of " clash of cultures". The students stay up till late, often playing music, even as they work on their projects, something the other residents of at Ashberry Homes do not appreciate.

Deputy commissioner of police, J Elanchezhian, told TOI that two persons identified as Gurpreet Singh and Balwinder Singh have been arrested for the firing.

"There isn't much of an issue but there are cultural differences and divergent views between the locals and the students," Elanchezhian said, adding that the locals had even roughed up policemen who had gone to the spot after receiving a complaint.

Although none of the students were hurt in the squabble, the incident triggered panic among the students and their families, who made frantic calls to inquire about their well-being.

The institute has rented as many as 50 apartments in Ashberry Homes as part of a makeshift arrangement for housing 165 students, including the new batch.