Tensions erupted at SK College of Nursing after a phone went missing from the hostel, with students reportedly using sticks, slippers and buckets during the confrontation. The Rongmei Naga students from Manipur were later moved to separate accommodation.
BY PC Bureau
August 23, 2026: A dispute over a missing mobile phone at a nursing college in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, escalated into a physical confrontation between students from the Northeast, mostly Rongemi Nagas from Manipur, and local Telugu-speaking students, prompting the district administration and police to intervene and relocate students as a precautionary measure.
The incident took place on August 21 at SK College of Nursing, where a mobile phone belonging to a student from the Northeast was reported missing. What began as an argument over the missing device soon turned into a clash between two groups of students inside the hostel. Videos and accounts of the incident showed students confronting one another with sticks, slippers and buckets as tensions spiralled.
Some students from the Northeast were reportedly injured during the confrontation. In some accounts, two students were taken to Kakinada Government Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. At the height of the tension, some Northeast students reportedly took shelter inside the hostel as the situation became increasingly volatile.
The confrontation also reportedly spilled beyond the hostel premises and onto the road, raising concerns about the safety of students who had travelled from faraway states to pursue nursing education in Andhra Pradesh. The incident quickly attracted attention because of the involvement of students from the Northeast and the potential for a dispute inside a hostel to acquire a wider regional dimension.
District administration steps in
As news of the confrontation reached the authorities, the Kakinada district administration moved quickly to prevent the situation from escalating further. The District Collector and Superintendent of Police intervened and directed officials to ensure the safety of all students and bring the hostel situation under control.
As a precaution, students from the Northeast were moved to separate accommodation. In addition, 31 students from other states were shifted to another hostel with their consent, in an effort to keep the two groups apart and prevent another confrontation.
Security arrangements were strengthened around the relocated students. A woman Sub-Inspector was reportedly stationed with the Northeast students overnight to reassure them and provide immediate police assistance if required.
The administration’s immediate priority was to separate the groups and ensure that students were able to remain in a secure environment while the circumstances surrounding the original dispute were examined.
The matter also reached the office of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who reviewed the situation and directed senior officials to act immediately.
Following the Chief Minister’s intervention, the District Collector and Superintendent of Police took steps to relocate the students, strengthen security and defuse tensions. According to the Chief Minister’s Office, the situation was subsequently brought under control and the matter was resolved amicably.
Officials also interacted with the affected students, who reportedly expressed satisfaction with the arrangements made for their safety.
The swift intervention was particularly significant because the confrontation involved students from different parts of the country living together in a hostel environment. Separating the groups was seen as a preventive measure rather than an indication that the underlying dispute had been fully investigated.
The incident triggered concern in Manipur, where news of the confrontation involving students from the state circulated widely.
BREAKING ⚡
🚨NORTHEAST STUDENTS ATTACKED BY MOB AT SK COLLEGE OF NURSING, ANDHRA PRADESH @AndhraPradeshCM
22 August 2026
📍Valasapakala, Kakinada—A scuffle reportedly broke out between Northeast and local girl students following allegations of stolen mobile phones… pic.twitter.com/HN8X6ZfRsW
— 📍SHANGH CHE🚭 (@JosephNaga1986) August 22, 2026
Former Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh contacted the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s Office and expressed concern over reports of a clash involving students from the Northeast, including Manipur.
In a post on X, Singh said he was deeply concerned by reports of the incident and appealed to Chief Minister Naidu to ensure the safety and fair treatment of the students. He subsequently said that the District Collector and Superintendent of Police had been advised to handle the matter seriously.
Singh also acknowledged the decision to move the affected students to a different building and provide additional security. He thanked Naidu for what he described as a timely intervention and for taking steps to safeguard the students.
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The students’ relocation and the deployment of additional police personnel helped ease immediate fears. The administration also sought to reassure students that security measures would remain in place for as long as necessary.
The incident nevertheless generated considerable discussion on social media, particularly among communities from the Northeast. Concerns were raised about the safety of students from the region studying in other parts of India and about the need for educational institutions to respond quickly when local disputes threaten to take on regional or ethnic overtones.
Situation under control
By August 23, authorities said the situation at the college had been brought under control. The Northeast students had been provided separate accommodation, additional security had been arranged and the immediate tensions had subsided.
The administration’s response — including the intervention of the Chief Minister’s Office, the District Collector and the Superintendent of Police — helped prevent the confrontation from developing into a larger law-and-order issue.
The incident, however, has once again highlighted the importance of ensuring that students who travel far from home to study are provided a safe and inclusive campus environment. It has also underscored the need for college administrations to intervene early in hostel disputes before disagreements involving students from different regions escalate into group confrontations.
The investigation into the missing phone and the events that followed is expected to establish the precise sequence of events and responsibility for the violence. For now, officials have maintained that the immediate situation has been resolved and that the priority remains the safety and well-being of all students.
The reported confrontation at SK College of Nursing has therefore moved beyond a dispute over a missing mobile phone to become a reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by students living away from their home states — and of the need for educational institutions and local authorities to respond quickly whenever campus tensions threaten student safety.
