Jadavpur University ragging case | Dean of students heading probe committee resigns

West Bengal’s Jadavpur University is once again embroiled in controversy, with the university’s Dean Subinoy Chakraborty’s abrupt resignation on Sunday (August 20) morning. Chakraborty was heading the 10-member committee probing the student’s death. 

Chakraborty’s resignation comes at a time when the probe process has already admitted that the death of the student was a fallout of the immense psychological ragging and harassment by a section of the senior students of the university. 

Subinoy Chakraborty’s resignation coincides with the appointment of Dr Buddhadeb Sau. West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose appointed Sau as the officiating vice-chancellor on Saturday (August 19). 

Bose, who is also the university's Chancellor, issued directives allowing Sau to assume the vice-chancellor's responsibilities and exercise his authority immediately. Since June, the institution has operated without a full-time vice-chancellor. The death of a student at the university's hostel, which was allegedly caused by ragging, has put the institution in the spotlight. 

The suicide and aftermath 

Swapnadip Kundu, an undergraduate student allegedly died after falling from the second floor's balcony of his hostel at the Jadavpur University campus in West Bengal's Kolkata. The 18-year-old boy was allegedly ragged. 

The Students Federation of India (SFI) on Saturday staged a sit-in in front of the administrative block of Jadavpur University (JU) seeking immediate steps against ragging while the TMCP submitted a memorandum to varsity registrar demanding installation of CCTV cameras on the campus.

Political parties lash out Mamata Banerjee led WB govt 

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury took a dig at Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government demanding a detailed investigation in connection with the death of a student of Jadavpur University. Hitting out at the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which is part of the newly-formed Opposition parties' I.N.D.I.A., Chowdhary stated that everything happens once the mishap has occurred as no action is taken beforehand. He also raised questions on the state police's laidback probe. 

Moreover, Leader of Opposition in West Bengal, Suvendu Adhikari along with party leaders joined the protest carried out by the West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Youth Morcha at Kolkata outside Jadavpur University to condemn the death of the student. 

Adhikari was seen flashing a placard, which stated 'Ragging Free Campus is our right' during the protest. He stated that the incident of the student's death has served as an eye-opener for everyone.

The student leaders from the university said, “Installing CCTV cameras on the campus is not a one-stop solution to prevent incidents of ragging. CCTVs can only help in detecting who is the culprit. But CCTVs cannot help in stopping ragging.”

"Despite CCTVs, violence took place during the West Bengal panchayat election. No arrests could be done based on their evidence. Nor can we say that the election was conducted in a just manner. The narrative on bringing in CCTVs on the campus is being brought in now just to deviate from the main issue," Aafrin Begum, state committee member of SFI said.