Broke in with spare keys

Some time between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. on the twelfth of March this year somebody entered Indian exchange student Himanshu Bhusan Sahoo’s room at Kringsjå Student Village, and stole his laptop computer. On this computer was the only copy of the master thesis he is currently working on at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences (NIH) – the unlucky student had forgotten to take safety copies.

When Sahoo discovered that someone had been in his bed-sit and that his PC was stolen, he immediately informed both Student Housing and the police. Yet there was no help to be had from SiO.

– They replied that it was sad, but that they unfortunately could not do anything about this case, and asked that I contacted my place of study for more practical assistance. It almost seemed like they thought that it was my own fault that the burglary took place, when I explained that the door was unlocked and open when I came home, he says.

SiO was informed

Later the same night, when he informed the other tenants at the student house of the break-in, some information emerged that saved Sahoo from being made responsible for the burglary.

– One of the other people in my hall told me that the girl who rented the room before me had subleased it on to some Polish people. When the girl moved out, she had to pay a replacement charge for loss of keys, he explains.

This means that SiO were aware that the keys had not been returned. All the same, the locks were not changed before Sahoo moved in in January, and he was not informed that others than himself may have had keys to the bed-sit.

When Sahoo wrote a letter to Student Housing in which he put forward the new information in the case, it only took a few days before he got a reply stating that the PC would be replaced. As compensation for the loss of the PC, Sahoo will not have to pay rent for last months of his stay. Even so, this form of repayment is not ideal for the exchange student, who will shortly be travelling back to India, and who will not be able to afford a new computer for another two months. He would prefer to have the compensation paid in cash.

– I am dependent on my PC if I am to finish my master thesis, which is to be handed in on May 30th. As the situation is now, I am unable to get any writing done at home, he explains.

The Norwegian School of Sport Sciences has offered him the use of the school’s computers during the daytime, but he must leave when employees go home for the day.

No new measures

According to Tom Olstad, head of Student Housing, it is normal practice for tenants who lose keys to be asked to state whether or not there is any danger of the keys being traced back to the address, before the lock is possibly changed. If the tenant wishes to sublease to others, then this must be approved by SiO first, he states.

Olstad says that in this case the lock should have been changed, but says that it is very difficult to control this process. However, there will be no talk of changing procedures at Student Housing to prevent such an episode from happening again.

– This happens very rarely. We cannot in fact remember the last time such a thing occurred, so we see no reason to change our routines after this, he says.

Fredrik Refsnes, head of the University of Oslo’s Welfare Council, states that it is important that SiO should make amends, but is not sure that the offer that they have made is adequate. He points out that it is very serious that the study progression of this Indian exchange student has been set back because of this, and adds that this is a case that the Welfare Council will take up with Student Housing.

Himanshu Bhusan Sahoo explains that had he not sent in his work for guidance, the entire master thesis would have disappeared. In any case, two and a half months work is gone, as the last time he sent anything in was in January.

– If SiO had changed the locks before I moved in, none of this would have happened, he states.

He now encourages all students to take safety copies of their work.