Jadavpur University authorities on Friday issued a fresh circular tightening entry and security rules on campus.
The notification, asked all concerned to strictly follow guidelines earlier circulated in March. It stated that only vehicles with JU parking stickers would be allowed entry, while those without stickers would have to record their registration details at the gate and produce valid identity cards.
The circular also underlined that the use of narcotics, alcohol, or involvement in any illegal activity on campus was prohibited and violators would face prosecution under law.
It also mentioned that trespassing, including morning or evening walks or using the campus as a thoroughfare, would not be allowed.
Anyone entering the premises between 7 pm and 7 am would be required to carry a JU identity card.
Visitors without JU-issued cards would have to produce other proof of identity and enter details of the person they intended to meet, along with a contact number, in a register kept at the gate.
The Registrar’s office circulated the directive across departments, student and teacher associations, and uploaded it on the university website.
The circular came a day after the death of Anamika Mondal, a 22-year-old English (Honours) student from Nimta in North 24 Parganas. She was found unconscious in a pond beside the undergraduate arts building around 9.40 pm on Thursday and declared dead on arrival at KPC Medical College and Hospital.
JU Pro-Vice Chancellor Amitava Dutta said, “We are devastated by the death of a student who was like our daughter. The university is looking into the chain of events and circumstances surrounding the incident and is fully cooperating with the police, who have inspected the site near Gate No. 4 where she was found.”
Dutta added that while the executive council had cleared a proposal in August to bring the entire campus under CCTV surveillance, authorities were waiting for the release of funds from the state government to implement it.
Police said they are reviewing CCTV footage and awaiting the post-mortem report. “Whether the woman drowned or whether she was murdered cannot be confirmed until we receive the autopsy findings,” an officer said.
“The lack of surveillance in such critical areas may complicate efforts to establish a clear timeline or determine if foul play was involved,” the officer added.
Partha Pratim Roy, general secretary of the Teachers’ Association, said, “Representatives from a state IT firm, who had installed the CCTVs near the main gates after the death of a first-year UG student in August 2023, even surveyed the spots where the cameras can be installed and gave quotations for the job. We are waiting for the release of funds from the higher education department.”
He pointed out that the 2 km campus has only 80 guards, leaving several areas unmonitored at night. The university had sought to hire 60 additional permanent guards, but the process has not progressed.
Roy said the university had given permission for a cultural programme, though it was unclear whether the event extended beyond permitted hours. “We are verifying why the deceased and others were present near the pond late at night,” he added.
Reactions from campus and beyond
The death has drawn strong responses from student bodies and political groups. SFI JU unit president Russell Pervez called the incident as tragic and called for immediate release of funds and the appointment of a full-time vice chancellor.
Former SFI member Joyadrita Roy said, “Being an alumnus, I am shocked over the incident. So far my knowledge goes, the AFSU room near the gate comes under the reach of CCTV at the gate. There should be greater surveillance on the campus and none should be allowed to enter the campus after 8 pm without an I-card.”
Outside the campus, ABVP activists protested near Gate No. 4, demanding strict action against alleged drug and liquor abuse and better security infrastructure.
Trinamool Chhatra Parishad state president Trinankur Bhattacharya also demanded CCTV installation and permanent police presence inside the university.
