In the wake of the row over a student suicide, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has appointed Buddhadeb Sau as the officiating vice-chancellor of Jadavpur University, reports PTI. Sau is a professor of the varsity’s Department of Mathematics, according to officials.
The premier state-run varsity is facing criticism over the death of a first-year undergraduate student after being allegedly ragged and sexually harassed. The student, aged 18, who was studying Bengali Hons., died after falling from the second floor of the varsity’s main hostel on the campus on August 9. His family alleged that he was being ragged on campus.
Bose, also the chancellor of the varsity, issued orders on Saturday night, authorising Sau to exercise the powers and perform the duties of the vice-chancellor with immediate effect.
The tenure of the varsity’s last full-time vice-chancellor Suranjan Das, who served for nine years, ended on May 31. Following that, Bose appointed Amitabha Datta, the pro-VC of the varsity, as the officiating vice-chancellor but he resigned on August 4. Datta had resigned after being asked by the Guv.
Kolkata Police Commissioner questions accused in student’s death
Meanwhile, on Saturday, Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal questioned some of the past and present students of Jadavpur University arrested in connection with the death case, reported Indian Express.
Goyal spoke to a former student, who did his Msc in Mathematics last year from the varsity, the first to be arrested in this case, at Lalbazar, the city police headquarters, said officials. He was questioned about the last moments before the death of the teen. Three students were also probed.
Meanwhile, three students – Computer Science student Satyabrata Roy, former student of the Chemistry Department Sheikh Nasim Akhtar, and former student of the Mathematics Department Himangshu Karmakar – arrested on Friday night were sent to 12-day police custody on Saturday. The total number of arrests in the case so far stands at 12.