Kolkata: Thirty-seven hours after unprecedented violence rocked Jadavpur University, vice-chancellor Chiranjib Bhattacharjee on Friday filed a complaint against “unknown outsiders/persons” who “unauthorisedly entered the campus” around 12.37 am on Thursday and indulged in vandalism and destruction of property.Based on the complaint, police registered an FIR, also against “unknown outsiders/persons”, under multiple sections of BNS dealing with unlawful assembly, common intent, rioting, mischief using dangerous means, criminal intimidation and aggravated house-trespass, and under provisions of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.The VC’s complaint and police action follow waves of violence at the university beginning a little after midnight on Thursday when a mob of right-wing activists entered the campus and went on a rampage for nearly three hours. Tension escalated again on Thursday afternoon when Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad supporters marched to the university’s Gate No. 4. After failing to force their way in, they climbed the locked gate, hurled stones, shoes, eggs and water bottles at students and faculty members while shouting abuse and threats.The university’s metal emblem, crafted by legendary artist Nandalal Bose, was damaged during the vandalism.The VC in his complaint cited the damage to the historic emblem. The emblem was repaired and re-installed on Gate No. 4 on Friday, but the campus remained tense.The university also constituted a five-member committee on Friday to probe the violence.The probe committee will be chaired by Subha Shankar Sarkar, former VC of NSOU, and include Arunasis Goswami, VC of Baba Saheb Ambedkar Education University, Soumendu Chatterjee, Director of IQAC at Presidency University. Two university officials, Sumanta Jana and Abdul Hasnath, will be presenting members.University sources said campus CCTV footage revealed that the right-wing mob encountered no resistance while entering Gate No. 4, which was already open, around 12.37 am Thursday.The footage also captured former JU VC Buddhadeb Sau entering through a side gate around the same time and standing near Gate No. 4 as the mob vandalised the premises. Sau, an active member of an RSS-backed teachers’ organisation, drove to his quarters after the crowd dispersed around 1:20 am.Sau said, “I stay on the campus. I visited Gate No. 1 when the scuffle between two student organisations took place over a general body meeting. When other professors were sleeping at home, I went to the police station with MLA Sarbari Mukherjee. After that, I entered the campus through Gate No. 4, where several police officers were present.”He claimed he told the cops to get additional personnel to manage any potential flare-up.“I was concerned too. Once the group retreated and the situation was brought under control, I returned to my quarters. Do I not have the right to stand at my university gate?” he asked.After the post-midnight fracas, ABVP had filed an FIR alleging an attempt to murder and invoking the SC/ST Act against 11 members of a left-wing student union.Additionally, Kolkata Police on Thursday had registered two suo motu FIRs against both ABVP and SFI for obstructing traffic and clashing with security personnel.
