Calcutta HC puts interim stay on rustication of 3 Visva Bharati students – Hindustan Times

The Calcutta high court on Wednesday imposed an interim stay on the rustication order of three Visva Bharati University (VBU) students and allowed them to join classes from Thursday.

Somnath Sow and Falguni Pan of economics, and Rupa Chakrabortty of Hindustani classical vocal were expelled for three years on August 23 by the VBU authorities for taking part in a campus protest in January this year.

“The court said the rustication order of the three students is being kept in abeyance. The matter would be heard again next Wednesday. The court also ordered the students to end the agitation. The court observed that the rustication order was harsh, excessive and disproportionate,” said Samim Ahmmed, the students’ lawyer.

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An agitation began on August 28 in the wake of the students’ expulsion on disciplinary grounds. VBU vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty was confined to his campus residence since then as the students blocked the gates.

The university authorities moved the high court seeking intervention in ending the impasse. On September 3, the high court passed an interim order banning demonstrations anywhere within 50 metres of the campus at Santiniketan in West Bengal.

Meanwhile, a section of the faculty members wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking a probe against the V-C.

V-C Chakraborty and the VBU spokesperson did not take HT’s calls.

Set up in 1921 by Rabindranath Tagore, Visva Bharati is Bengal’s only central university, and the Prime Minister is its chancellor.