The officiating vice-chancellor of Calcutta University, Santa Datta De, said on Friday that the varsity removed the convener of the inspection team probing alleged irregularities at South Calcutta Law College because he was impeding the investigation.
Jatin Kumar Das, CU’s former dean of law, was removed from the post of convener on Tuesday. History professor Pijush Kanti Panigrahi, a member of the team, has been appointed as the convener.
The vice-chancellor said the two CU nominees on the college’s governing body would also be replaced because they did not oppose the appointment of Monojit Mishra — a known offender — as a casual staffer. The governing body cleared Mishra’s appointment on July 2, 2024. He was terminated in July this year.
Mishra, now in jail, is the prime accused in the alleged gang-rape on the college campus on June 25. He had been arrested five times before June 26, when he was arrested again for the alleged gang-rape of a 24-year-old student.
CU had sent a four-member inspection team, including then convener Das, to the college on July 2.
The team was assigned to examine the governing body’s resolutions that led to Mishra’s appointment as a casual employee.
After allegations surfaced that Mishra controlled out-of-turn admissions for money, admission-related irregularities were also brought under the scope of the probe.
“We came to know the former convener was impeding the probe. When the team asked vice-principal Nayna Chatterji for admission-related information, he was speaking on her behalf. Das was not keen to visit the college. When the four members submitted individual reports to me, they too said Das was obstructing the probe,” vice-chancellor Datta De said at a news conference Friday evening.
Former convener Das told The Telegraph: “The allegations of creating impediments are baseless. I was appointed convener in my capacity as dean of law. My tenure ended on July 4. How could I continue as convener? I don’t know why the VC is making these allegations.”
The vice-chancellor said CU decided not to extend Das’s tenure as dean of law beyond July 3.
As part of the probe, the university last week summoned Yashbanti Sreemany, one of CU’s nominees to the college governing body. The other nominee, Sibranjan Chatterjee, has been asked to meet the vice-chancellor on Tuesday.
“The university has decided to remove these two nominees because they did not oppose the appointment of a history-sheeter like Mishra... When Sreemany was told about the appointment, she said she verbally opposed it — but gave no written note of dissent,” the CU vice-chancellor said.
Sibranjan Chatterjee has been a nominee since 2012. Yashbanti Sreemany since 2017.
When contacted, Sreemany said: “Unless I go through what the VC has said, I would not comment.”
Chatterjee said: “The university has the prerogative to remove its nominee from a college governing body. As for the allegations of not opposing Mishra’s appointment, I will explain everything when I meet the VC on Tuesday.”