Final year out-going boarders directed to vacate hostel within 7 days: JU authorities

Kolkata: Following the Executive Council meeting of Jadavpur University (JU), the varsity notified that the boardship of students in the hostel will be terminated within seven days from the date of completion of final examination.

In case of research scholars, the boardership will be terminated within one month from the date of termination of fellowship or submission of thesis. Therefore, the final year out-going boarders were directed to vacate the hostel.

Superintendents were asked to see that all the out-going boarders must vacate the hostel as soon as boardership is terminated, covering the rules. If it’s not followed, a brief report with regards to non-compliance of the rules by the students was asked to be filed by varsity authorities.

A first-year undergraduate student of the Bengali department had died after falling from the second floor balcony of the main boys’ hostel on the intervening night between August 9 and August 10. To inquire into the death of the student, an internal enquiry committee was formed on August 10.

The report by the internal enquiry committee constituted by the pro-vice-chancellor of Jadavpur University mentioned the type of atrocities and abuses that were allegedly committed against the freshers, commonly referred to as “bachha” by the seniors. The freshers were forced to wear full trousers at all times even while going to common bathrooms for loo or bath. They were forced to give their intros in Bangla dialect, failing to do so would result in punishment ranging between re-doing to “physical spanking.” Apart from this, there was targeted ragging by few who resisted.

The committee was of the view that the deceased student was ragged “in isolation” by a group of seniors and ex-students on the night of August 9. However, they do not have conclusive evidence of the actual falling incident.