Irate students on Saturday pelted stones, blocked roads and torched a college bus protesting alleged police action after a clash between two groups.
The trouble erupted following a clash between two groups of students at Utkal University campus at Vani Vihar in Bhubaneswar last night over a dispute, the police said.
After the clash, the university authorities asked students to vacate hostels within 12 hours.
The police took 12 students, including varsity student's council president Chinmay Sahu, into custody who were produced in court during the day.
"The situation is under control. We have deployed forces at strategic places," Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack BK Sharma said.
The violence at Vani Vihar led students of other colleges Rama Devi Womens' College, Maharshi College of Natural Law, Biju Patnaik college and a few others to block roads.
The clash, sources said, was a sequel to coming union elections with the student wings of both ruling BJD and Congress the main players.