A former president of the Aliah University unit of Trinamul Congress Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) has been arrested and slapped with attempt to murder and other charges for allegedly forcibly entering the vice-chancellor’s room and assaulting him.
A video showing a person resembling Giyasuddin Mondal, the accused, gesticulating at and verbally abusing VC Mahammad Ali has gone viral on social media.
Giyasuddin was arrested on Sunday based on a complaint lodged by a student on the New Town campus of the university, Asifur Rahman, an officer of the Bidhannagar commissionerate said.
An official of Aliah University said Giyasuddin, along with his supporters, had stormed the VC’s office around 5pm on April 1, alleging that Ali had inducted names of his choice on the list of students eligible for the PhD programme.
The list was published last Wednesday.
In the video, the person resembling Giyasuddin and his supporters could be seen surrounding the VC and pressing for the cancellation of the list.
“I usually slap hard. You can ask anyone…. I have been in jail (for offences) under non-bailable sections. You have to cancel the list. Hold your ear,” the person resembling Giyasuddin could be heard shouting at the VC.
The VC, who could not be contacted on Sunday despite repeated attempts, had said on Saturday night: “About 15 students came to my chamber to protest. Giyasuddin had spent 10 days in jail after my predecessor lodged a complaint. Giyasuddin himself referred to this (while protesting) and said he was habituated (to staying behind bars). What could I say about these elements? The way they were harassing me, I was feeling helpless,” he said.
“I then called the IC of Techno City police station. The IC said he was trying to do something. But thereafter he did not respond. Then the university’s doctor came as I felt a pain in my chest. He suggested hospitalisation,” the VC had told ABP Ananda.
Metro called Surya Pratap Yadav, deputy commissioner, headquarters, Bidhannagar commissionerate, and also sent him a text message, seeking his response on the alleged inaction. He neither answered the calls nor replied to the text message till late on Sunday.
A teacher said the university had expelled Giyasiddin, a student of engineering, and four other students in April 2019 for a year for allegedly creating unrest on the campus.
A police officer said Giyasuddin was picked up early on Sunday based on Rahman’s complaint lodged with Tech-no City police station on April 1.
“Rahman and a few other students went to the VC’s office and found the protesting students had confined the VC, abused him, threatened him with dire consequences and assaulted him. The VC could be rescued only after the intervention of the complainant and a few other students,” the officer said.
Giyasuddin has been charged under various sections of the IPC, including 307 (attempt to murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 379 (theft), among others.
Wadil Alam, general secretary of the newly constituted TMCP unit at Aliah University, said the earlier unit had been dissolved following Giyasuddin’s expulsion.
The new unit was constituted on March 14 after the campus was reopened following the pandemic-induced closure.
A university official said Giyasuddin was desperate to make his presence felt on the campus. “He wanted to reestablish his hold by launching the protest over the PhD list,” the official said.
In February 2018, a teacher in Calcutta University's chemical engineering department, Bhaskar Chandra Das, had lodged an FIR alleging that a Trinamul Congress Chhatra Parishad leader had abused and slapped him.
