Cuttack: The State Human Rights Commission has sought a report from the Ravenshaw University on the recent sine die closure and reopening of the varsity.

The commission asked for the report after a student filed a petition, alleging human rights violation and seeking Rs 10,000 for each hostel boarder, who had to move out following the sine die closure.

Arati Meher, a third-year undergraduate student of political science and boarder of Devi Hostel, filed the petition alleging that "the sine die closure was declared without any rhyme or reason" and "the unwarranted and unjustified decision" was causing trauma to the students "as they had to suffer severe financial loss for no faults of theirs".

The university has around 8,000 students. Around 1,700 girls and 1,300 boys are accommodated in 12 hostels. The rest are day scholars.

Around 9.45pm on May 8, the university declared sine die closure. In his order, vice-chancellor Ishan Patro said: "In view of the ongoing student unrest and deteriorating academic atmosphere on the campus, the university is closed sine die."

The student unrest had centred on the Ravenshaw Chhatra Kriyanustan Committee's demand for withdrawal of orders hiking fees for self-financing courses.

"The boarders of all the hostels are directed to vacate them by 10am of May 9. Failure to comply with the order will automatically lead to disciplinary action," the order said, while handing over the campus to police.

"Next morning the students, including all the 1,700 girls, were forced to vacate the hostels by the armed police at gunpoint and hundreds were forced to miserably languish in railway station and bus stand for hours. The girls were forced to travel in unreserved train compartments and night buses without reserved seats in most unsafe condition. Several of them were forced to hire vehicles at exorbitantly high price to anyhow reach their homes," Meher alleged in her petition.

The decision to lift the sine die closure was taken within 24 hours on May 9, but reopening of the university was delayed by three more days.

"The sine die declaration gave a body blow to all preparations of the students for the semester examinations and had put them in severe mental, physical and financial stress," the petition contended, while alleging that it also amounted to "infringement of human rights of the students when they were ventilating their grievances in a peaceful manner".

"The commission on perusing the petition and after hearing the petitioner, directs the Ravenshaw registrar to furnish a report on the matter in four weeks and matter be listed on June 26 for further hearing," acting chairman Justice (retd) B.K. Mishra said in his May 18 two-page order.