A committee constituted by Jadavpur University to probe an alleged assault on two research scholars in December has said in its report “no further administrative action can be taken” against the accused till the disposal of a criminal case by the police.
A JU official said an incident was reported to Jadavpur police station on December 22 last year when the university was holding spot counselling to fill vacant seats in first-year BTech programmes.
Police started a case following a complaint from the former pro-vice-chancellor Samantak Das on December 22 last year that stated that two men tried to induce candidates by offering them admission to an engineering course in JU.
The two research scholars were dragged into the matter after the students’ wing of the faculty of engineering and technology (Fetsu) alleged that two scholars were involved with the accused duo.
One of the research scholars, from the philosophy department, had written to the university’s SC/ST cell on December 28 that a kangaroo court had been set up in Fetsu’s union room to assault him and another research scholar from the department of international relations.
After the police investigation did not find anything against the two scholars, a group of Trinamul student supporters along with one of the scholars held a ten-daylong sit-in in front of vice-chancellor Suranjan Das’s office in April seeking justice.
The university authorities then ordered a probe by a retired justice.
The report that was shared with students last week says: “No action at present is needed as Jadavpur Police station Case No 408, dated 22nd December, under section 420/511/120B of the Indian Penal code against suspects….is still pending. Regarding (name of the two accused) also no adverse presumption can be taken as the criminal case is still pending. No further administrative action can be taken till disposal of the criminal case”.
One of the scholars said he was dissatisfied with the report.
“It seems that citing the excuse of a police investigation into a separate complaint filed by the then pro-VC committee has not probed the complaint pertaining to assault seriously and failed to ensure justice. During the deposition I gave all the evidence,” he told The Telegraph.
Sanjib Pramanik, the observer of the Trinamul students’ wing on the campus, said: “After several rounds of persuasion we got the report that has failed to pinpoint who was behind the assault. We have plans to contest the report at an appropriate forum.”
JU registrar Snehamanju Basu said: “The report was handed to the students after it was placed at the university’s executive committee. We have not received any response from the students about it.”