Benjamin Zachariah

Presidency University has terminated the services of UK-returned history professor Benjamin Zachariah, saying it sees “no future” in their association after complaints that he has been disrespectful towards his colleagues.

The termination letter was mailed to Zachariah on Wednesday afternoon, a day after he returned from Germany and within a year of him coming from Sheffield University to join his alma mater.

“We have informed him that there is no future in continuing the association between Presidency University and him,” vice-chancellor Malabika Sarkar told Metro.

Asked what had led to “the association” being severed, she said: “The developments over the past few months.”

A university official said “the developments” pertained to his alleged misbehaviour with fellow teachers. The alleged incidents started after Zachariah was not named head of the department.

“He has been charged with misbehaving with his colleagues and this cannot be allowed in an institution such as Presidency. He has been asked to leave,” a university official said.

Zachariah’s Facebook status message on Wednesday evening read: “And finally, I have resigned.”

Sources in the university said the teacher sent his resignation letter half an hour after the termination notice.

Zachariah was a reader of South-East Asian history at Sheffield University before joining the new-look Presidency during the first wave of recruitments that included several notable names with stints abroad. He joined the College Street campus as a professor last August.

On May 15, vice-chancellor Sarkar confirmed that Zachariah had admitted to misbehaving with Rajat Kanta Ray, professor emeritus of history. He was allegedly also involved in a spat with colleague Milinda Banerjee.

“We should remember that the academic atmosphere of the university must not be vitiated,” Sarkar had said.

Zachariah insisted that he decided to resign on his own for a different reason. “There are gross irregularities in the running of the university. Whenever I took my salary, I felt guilty. I used to protest internally. But things were becoming too much to bear with. That’s why I have decided to resign.”

Asked to elaborate, he said: “It’s a long story. I would speak on this later…. Now you will get to hear different kinds of things about me. They have a single agenda: to taint me. But I really don’t care.”

Sources said Zachariah had asked for the post of head of the department immediately after Jayashree Mukherjee vacated the chair. He allegedly took offence when the university asked Shukla Sanyal, who had come from Bethune College, to head the department.

“In Sanyal’s absence for three months, the vice-chancellor wanted Zachariah to assume charge. She conveyed the message to Zachariah through Rajat Kanta Ray. The moment Ray said so in a departmental meeting, he exploded and used filthy language,” said a teacher.

A senior colleague said Zachariah’s conduct was tantamount to defying the legacy of the 196-year-old institution.

“In an institution where Jagadish Chandra Bose, Prafulla Chandra Ray and Meghnad Saha taught, this is unimaginable. Presidency is not only known for its academic standards but also for a culture of bonding,” said the head of a department.