Santiniketan, Oct. 16: Four of the five provosts appointed by Visva-Bharati vice-chancellor Sushanta Dattagupta in alleged violation of university rules have quit in the wake of the central government probe against the VC and his subsequent resignation.

Dattagupta created the five posts of provosts although the Visva-Bharati Act does not have such a provision.

In February, the human resource development ministry set up a committee to probe allegations of financial and administrative irregularities against the Visva-Bharati VC.

Five varsity teachers and officials were given additional charge as provosts.

Two Visva-Bharati directors, Sabujkali Sen and Tapati Mukhopadhyay, and a former principal of Sangeet Bhavana, Indrani Mukhopadhyay, were appointed provosts last year. In January, the dean of science, Sudhendu Mondal, and Kala Bhavana professor Nirmalendu Das were made provosts.

Tapati Mukhopadhyay refused comment. "It (her resignation) is an official matter and I will not share it with you," she said. Nirmalendu Das said: "I want to continue with academics only. So, I resigned from the post of provost."

Sabujkali Sen refused comment. Indrani Mukhopadhyay said: "I resigned because of personal reasons."

One of the provosts who quit said on condition of anonymity: "The post is co-terminus with the VC. As the VC has submitted his resignation, there is no point in holding onto the post."