Jadavpur University students who were protesting against the authorities’ alleged failure to act against those found guilty of having a role in the ragging a first-year student despite promising to do so by Wednesday, withdrew their sit-in late on Thursday.
The students decided to end the sit-in that went on for more than 24 hours after vice-chancellor Bhaskar Gupta, through written communication, assured them that the university would issue letters to “those found guilty” by the anti-ragging committee by Friday.
The students, however, added that they would resume protest if the letters were not issued by Friday.
The students, who were demonstrating in front of the vice-chancellor’s office, said VC Gupta told them on September 23 (Monday) that the university would take action by September 25 (Wednesday) against those implicated.
On September 23, the university decided to punish students accused of conspiracy in the ragging and abetment to ragging of the first-year student who died in August last year following a meeting of the university’s anti-ragging committee.
The protesting students on Thursday shared a press release along with a note in which the VC wrote: “Regarding the students’ demands, the university is considering seriously and will take necessary action by 25/09/24.”
The first-year student died on August 10 after being allegedly ragged by the senior students at the university’s main hostel.
Earlier in the day, the protesting students said the VC was saying they were set to take action formally but could not commit a day because they are awaiting legal opinion.
At least 12 JU students, past and present, are in judicial custody now for allegedly a more direct role in the death.
Indranuj Roy, a member of the platform called Left Unity Against Ragging, said: “The university authorities took over 13 months just to decide that they will punish those who have been found guilty of conspiracy in the ragging and abetment to ragging of a first-year student. In between fresh cases of ragging have surfaced. Now they are missing yet another deadline. We will not allow this delay.”
Calls and text messages from this newspaper to VC Gupta did not yield any
response.
The father of the deceased first-year student has repeatedly accused JU of dilly-dallying in taking action against those responsible for his son’s death.
