Probe on mark bribe slur over - report on pass marks to a student against money

Inquiry committee looked into allegations that a faculty member in the political science department had promised pass marks to a student against money

Binita Paul   |   TT   |   Siliguri   |   07.10.20  :   The inquiry committee constituted by Siliguri College to probe into the allegation that Amitava Kanjilal, a faculty member in the political science department, had promised pass marks to a student against money, submitted its report to the college authorities on Monday.

The seven-member committee comprising senior faculty members of the college and academics was constituted by the institution’s governing body 20 days ago. On Monday, it submitted the 10-page report.

The committee was constituted after the final-year under-graduate student had alleged that Kanjilal had promised her pass marks against the payment of bribe and filed a complaint with the college.

“The college has received the inquiry committee’s report. A governing body meeting will be held on October 9 when the report would be examined. Then the college will take a decision,” said Jayanta Kar, the president of the governing body.

Suprakash Roy, a member of the inquiry committee, said the statements of both the teacher and the student were included in the report.

The committee members also spoke to some officials of North Bengal University and police officers, said sources.

Though none from the committee is willing to talk about the content of the report, sources said, there were discrepancies in the statements given by Kanjilal. “During the inquiry, he said the audio clips (of the alleged phone conversation between the teacher and the student) are half truths and he had spoken to the girl more. However, he did not deny that the voice was his,” said a source.

The college had also served a show-cause on the accused teacher.

Although a police complaint had been lodged against Kanjilal by the NBU registrar, the sources said, there was no progress in the probe.

“We feel the police should conduct a proper probe and come up with their findings,” said Kar.

(Courtesy & source: The Telegraph- https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/siliguri-college-probe-on-mark-bribe-slur-over/cid/1794070)