Visva-Bharati's acting vice-chancellor Sanjoy Kumar Mallik on Monday evening reportedly sent a letter to his predecessor Bidyut Chakrabarty requesting him to vacate Purbita, the central varsity VC's official residence, within November 15, with a reminder about the completion of his tenure on November 8.

Mallik and acting public relations officer Mahua Banerjee neither denied nor confirmed the claim when they were asked about the purported letter.

Although the five-year term of Chakrabarty as Visva-Bharati VC ended on November 8, he has continued to stay on at Purbita, which a section of varsity officials termed as "illegal".

"Recently, a teachers' body complained to Mallik and urged the acting VC to evict Chakrabarty as he was an illegal occupant of the official residence of the Visva-Bharati vice-chancellor. Most former VCs vacated the residence within 24 hours of completion of their tenure. However, Chakrabarty did not follow this. As he was our VC, the acting VC has requested him in his letter to vacate it," said a senior varsity official.

"It would have been better if Bidyut Chakrabarty had vacated Purbita once his tenure was over. Unfortunately, a former VC had to be asked to vacate his residence. However, we have to abide by the varsity's law," added another official.

The supposed communication to Chakrabarty from Mallik assumes significance at a time when the Visva-Bharati University Faculty Association (VBUFA) on November 11 sent a letter to the current VC, demanding the eviction of his predecessor. The letter
accused Chakrabarty of occupying the establishment illegally.

"In a recent communication with Santiniketan police, Bidyut Chakrabarty asked the investigating officer to interrogate him at Prubita after three weeks. It proves that he would continue occupying the official residence at least for the next three weeks. It is a clear instance of misuse of public money and property as the establishment is free of rent. Chakrabarty had no right to occupy the bungalow after the completion of his tenure. We are happy to know that the acting VC has sent a written communication asking him to vacate Purbita," said Sudipta Bhattacharyya, president of VBUFA.

In its letter, VBUFA had reminded Mallik about how Chakrabarty had harrassed Nobel laureate Amartya Sen over a parcel of varsity land.

It was "indeed unfortunate" that Chakrabarty, while making allegations against Amartya Sen of unauthorised occupation of Visva-Bharati property and on others for exploiting Visva-Bharati in his missives, is now himself unauthorisedly occupying Visva-Bharati's property, the VBUFA stated in its letter.

An official, however, said that until Tuesday evening there was no report about Chakrabarty vacating the VC's official residence.

"If he continues to occupy the property, we will send him another reminder," said a varsity source. “Further continuation of his stay will lead us to take steps according to the rule of law."

However, a source later on Tuesday evening said that Chakrabarty sent a reply to acting VC Mallik’s communication, asking him to point out the rules based on which he was asked to vacate Purbita within a week of the completion of his tenure as the Visva-Bharati VC.