Dean intervenes to halt unauthorised meet at JU Hostel

Kolkata: Controversy erupted over a General Body (GB) Meeting of all hostels, which was called on Sunday night at the Main Hostel to collect funds for the legal case of 14 students challenging the Show-Cause notices issued by the university.

These 14 students were accused of being involved in the death of a first-year student last year. The meeting’s agenda was to discuss the costs and collection of money for the ongoing case in the Calcutta High Court against the Show-Cause letters issued to the 14 students of A-2 Block.

This raised concerns among teachers and students about how the accused were able to call such a meeting in the Main Hostel. Upon learning about the meeting, the hostel superintendent prohibited it. However, the students allegedly proceeded with the meeting despite the ban.

The Dean of Students, Rajat Ray, intervened by contacting one of the accused students and informing them that the meeting could not be held. “I initially instructed the superintendent to inform the students that the meeting was not allowed. When that failed, I spoke with the boys, and the meeting was called off,” said Ray on Monday.

After the student’s death last year, the Anti-Ragging Committee identified several people as guilty. Even after a year, the accused have not been punished, although university authorities had issued Show-Cause notices to those identified students.