HC directs Centre to pay research grant to VBU professor

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court is learnt to have directed the Centre to pay the research grant to a professor of Visva Bharati University (VBU) who was involved in the research work of CERN Project.

It was reported that Manas Maity a physics professor of Viswa Bharati was removed initially and a departmental enquiry was initiated against him. Grants for his research were also stopped in the meantime.

The suspension was later revoked on the orders of the high court but his research grant was not resumed.

The court is now learnt to have directed the Centre to send the research grant to the professor’s bank account by August 9.

It was directed that if the money does not reach by then the departmental officials concerned will need to be present in court through a virtual hearing.

It was alleged that the former vice-chancellor of the University Bidyut Chakraborty was allegedly instrumental in bringing several allegations against the professor and in getting him suspended.

When the professor was reinstated by the high court, then Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay had expressed strong disapproval of vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty’s decision to write to CERN requesting the professor’s removal.

The physicist had sought the HC’s intervention to prevent any strong action against him. He alleged in 2022 that the V-C wrote to CERN about the disciplinary proceedings, resulting in his removal from the CMS project.