JU V-C, pro-VC, registrar locked up by students for over 24 hours

ENS & PTI : Kolkata, Sep 20 2013: Vice-chancellor, pro-vice chancellor and registrar of the prestigious Jadavpur University have been kept under gherao since Wednesday evening by engineering students who are demanding immediate withdrawal of suspension order on two students on a ragging charge.

The university authority, however, refused to give in to the students' demand and stuck to its stand.

"We told the students in clear terms that there was no scope of reconsidering their demands since it was a case of ragging which invited disciplinary action against the guilty students. We are sticking to the recommendation of the anti-ragging committee", Pro-vice-chancellor Siddharta Dutta said.

The university authorities had suspended two fourth year students on charges of ragging a second year student on August 25 on basis of a complaint by the victim.

The duo —- a construction engineering student and another of printing technology stream —- have also been asked to vacate hostel rooms immediately.

Dutta said he, along with the vice chancellor and the registrar had been kept under gherao since 5 pm yesterday after a meeting with a section of engineering faculty students on their demand failed in the V-C's office. "There was no opportunity of revoking the quantum of punishment since as per the UGC rules and regulations, the accused students would have to apply to the chancellor only in this regard," he said.

Asked whether they would approach the state administration to lift the gherao, the Pro-VC replied, "We think we can make them understand. Our teachers are talking to them. In the past also such thing has happened. We have also not informed the police and would await when good sense will prevail on the students," he said.

Alleging that the suspension orders would affect the career of the two accused, the students claimed that it was not at all a case of ragging "for which the two students have been wrongly slapped suspension orders."University sources said that the agitating students had boycotted classes during the day and sought cooperation of the students of Arts faculty. 

They said that JU authorities expelled three students on ragging charge in 2009. The university authorities suspended 24 students for ragging a first year girl student of Architecture department in 2008.