Shubhra Goswamy | May 28, 2024 |
West Bengal NUJS Students asked Vice Chancellor’s suspension over a sexual harassment allegation
In a letter to the chief justice of India, Dr. DY Chandrachud, the Student Juridical Association (SJA), the student body of the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS), requested the vice-chancellor Prof. NK Chakrabarti of the university be suspended due to accusations of sexual harassment made against him by a professor in the workplace.
The letter comes in response to a ruling last week by the Calcutta High Court ordering the local complaints body to reexamine the complaint against the VC that was submitted by an associate professor at the university.
The teacher’s objection was initially dismissed by the local committee due to its limitations. However, Justice Kaushik Chanda stated,
“…The local committee, in deciding the issue of limitation, should accept the allegations in the complaint at face value.” At the threshold stage, there is no reason to question the validity of the allegations contained in the complaint…”
The Vice-Chancellor’s attempt to sidestep the judicial system was sharply denounced by the student body.
“We strongly condemn the presumption of falsehood regarding the charges of Associate Professor…and the Vice Chancellor’s intentional attempts to evade the proper legal process by abusing his position of authority. The letter claims that the accused behaviours are an attempt to degrade Associate Professor’s dignity and respect at work and amount to blatant patriarchal exploitation”.
The letter also denounces the claimed animosity and apathy on the part of the University Administration, and the student body categorically condemns the Vice Chancellor’s repeated retaliatory actions against the complaint. Additionally, it denounces the purported acts of other academic staff members and non-staff members who are accused of stigmatizing, retaliating against, and punishing the Associate Professor.
In view of the aforementioned, the students have presented CJI Chandrachud with the following five demands:
1. Prompt action should be taken to guarantee that the Associate Professor or complainant does not experience any additional harassment or hostility from faculty or non-faculty staff. Additionally, a comprehensive and impartial investigation into the Vice-Chancellor’s alleged sexual harassment and intimidation should be conducted.
2. The Vice-Chancellor should be immediately removed from his position and forbidden from carrying out any tasks or obligations in his capacity as the university’s Vice Chancellor until he is found not guilty.
3.The Vice Chancellor’s purported attempts to manipulate EC meetings intended to address the complainant’s grievances will be considered an abuse of the power and authority granted to him by the University. Additionally, his purported failure to withdraw from these meetings goes against the fundamental tenets of natural justice. VC agrees to withdraw from any next EC meeting convened to address the same issue and to be prohibited from influencing the direction of any proceedings brought against him.
4. The Vice-Chancellor should dissolve the ridiculous and vindictive fact-finding commission that was established in opposition to the Associate Professor. The Vice-Chancellor and his close advisors inside the faculty are accused by the students of abusing their power to bully and arm-twist the victim, causing her to suffer more than she already does. The students denounce these activities.
5. The students urge that the Vice-Chancellor not be allowed an extension in his role, citing the NUJS General Body’s lack of confidence in him and the stated claims.
“We note that the Vice Chancellor has allegedly attempted to immunize himself against allegations surrounding inappropriate sexual conduct by abusing the authority vested in him as the Vice Chancellor and Chairman of the EC, and in doing so, has betrayed the trust placed in him as the head of an institution such as NUJS,” the letter continued.
As per the Sources Students have demanded that the Executive Council (EC), at its next meeting on Tuesday, 28th May 2024, refuse to give the Vice-Chancellor a term extension.
In case of any Doubt regarding Membership you can mail us at [email protected]
Join Studycafe's WhatsApp Group or Telegram Channel for Latest Updates on Government Job, Sarkari Naukri, Private Jobs, Income Tax, GST, Companies Act, Judgements and CA, CS, ICWA, and MUCH MORE!"