The father of a first-year student at South Calcutta Law College who has been asked to appear before a fact-finding committee probing his complaint of ragging against senior students has sought from the panel promise of “full security and dignity” when his son goes to the college.
The first-year student has been asked to present himself before the committee on December 21 for deposition.
The student’s father said that during a previous meeting with the college authorities on December 7, he and his two sons (the first-year student and his elder brother) were assaulted inside and outside the college by students’ union members.
The letter written by the father, and addressed to the chairperson of the fact-finding committee, says: “Even if my son is allowed to be accompanied by his guardians, we might still be attacked and assaulted. Hence we cannot attend the investigation process, unless and until we have a written promise of full security and dignity from your end.”
The first-year student, who has alleged that he “was threatened and bullied” on December 2 “to make him join the students’ union and pay subscriptions”, lodged a complaint with the UGC’s anti-ragging helpline on December 3 and the vice-principal of the college on December 5.
Vice-principal Nayna Chatterji is now the teacher-in-charge of the college.
On December 7, the student and his family members, who were asked by the college authorities to meet them, were allegedly assaulted on the campus in the presence of the president of the governing body of the college, Askok Deb, who is also a Trinamul MLA, and the vice-principal.
The father of the student, who had lodged an FIR with Kasba police station on December 7, told The Telegraph on Monday that although the committee had only asked his son to be present, “we cannot send him alone given the safety concerns”.
“Previously, I along with my son and family members were assaulted in this very college while attending a meeting with the college authorities responding to written instruction made by the authorities. Hence for obvious reasons my son cannot go to your college alone. So please make it clear whether he may be accompanied by guardians,” the father has written in an email to the chairperson of the fact-finding committee.
He said his son was still traumatised by what had happened so far.
On December 9, two days after the alleged assault and the FIR, the college uploaded the names of the senior students accused of the assault and disallowed them from entering the campus till the probe committee filed its report.
Santanu Mitra, chairperson of the fact-finding committee, said the complainant was free to come to the college with his guardians. “We will make arrangements for their safety inside the college premises. We will speak to the police authorities about this. This will be communicated to the father,” said Mitra, who teaches in another college.
