Mita Mukherjee

Jadavpur University on Tuesday decided to start inquiries to probe two fresh complaints of ragging. The decision was taken at an emergency meeting convened by the anti-ragging squad of the university where a 17-year old student died after he fell from the second floor balcony of the institution’s main hostel after he was subjected to extensive ragging by his seniors including some passed out students, in August this year.

The Tuesday meeting was held after the anti-ragging squad chairman, Sanmoy Karmakar had complained that the university had received two new ragging complaints through the University Grants Commission (UGC) helpline last week but no initiative was taken by the authorities to start an inquiry to probe the complaints despite “repeated requests” from him.

One of the two new complaints registered through the UGC helpline on October 13 was lodged by a student of the construction engineering department of the university’s Salt Lake campus and the other from a student of faculty of arts on the main campus.

Two inquiries will be held to probe the two new complaints and the same number of inquiry committees have been formed for the purpose, a source in the university said. The committees will conduct the inquiries following the UGC guidelines, the source said.

Karmakar, the anti-ragging squad chairman who is a professor of the pharmaceutical department of the university wrote a strong letter to the officiating vice-chancellor Buddhadeb Sau on Monday stating that after receiving the new complaints from the UGC helpline, he had repeatedly requested the concerned officials to convene a meeting of the anti-ragging squad. “… But till now no meeting has been called for although all of us are all aware about the seriousness of the current situation….” Karmakar said in the letter.

“ARS is supposed to start this investigation but no such meeting has been arranged despite my repeated requests – to carry forward anti-ragging activities as per the UGC guidelines. Thus helplessly I would like to suggest in front of the Chairman of ARC….… to address the above mentioned Complaints of the Ragging,” the letter read.  

Karmakar even expressed his desire to quit from the post. “ In this precarious administrative condition, will it not be proper & justified for me to resign from the responsibilities of Chairman of the ARS?” he wrote in the letter.

According to an official of the university, during the meeting, three groups were formed for conducting surprise visits at the students’ hostels. The number of surprise visits to the hostels occupied by first-year students will be increased. As for the senior students, visits will be conducted at least twice a week, the source said.

Also read: Calcutta HC says Jadavpur University hostels to be vacated within 24 hours after final exams