The superintendent of Carmichael Hostel where a former student of the university allegedly ragged a differently-abled student has been issued a show-cause notice for dereliction of duty.

CU vice-chancellor Santa Datta said the hostel superintendent was on leave when the student was allegedly ragged and did not inform the university authorities about his leave.

“He did not assign responsibility to anyone from August 2 to August 21— when he
was on leave. Had he been present in the hostel or assigned charges to someone, the student could have been protected,” the VC said.

The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the university’s anti-ragging committee on Friday.

The meeting was held after a second-year student of Carmichael Hostel in central Calcutta wrote to the university’s board of residence and the UGC’s anti-ragging helpline, alleging that a former student, who was staying at the hostel illegally, assaulted him.

The student said he was assaulted on August 9 and August 11.

“I called the hostel superintendent on Friday, seeking to know if he was present in the hostel when the student was allegedly ragged. I also sought to know if he did anything to protect the student from the harassment. Then the superintendent said he went to South India and was on leave from August 2 to 21. Since he was on leave without any intimation, he has been show-caused,” the VC said.

At CU, the hostel superintendents are required to inform the secretary of the university’s board of residence before taking leave.

The university has lodged an FIR against a former student who has been accused of staying in the hostel illegally and ragging.

The secretary of the university’s board of residence lodged an FIR at Amherst police station on Friday following an instruction from the UGC said CU registrar Debasis Das.