Jadavpur University inquiry chief resigns; varsity to appoint new head

Jadavpur University will appoint a new chairperson for its five-member inquiry committee after Professor Subha Shankar Sarkar resigned as its head, citing his inability to conduct the investigation effectively, a varsity official said on Monday.

Sarkar, a former vice-chancellor of Netaji Subhas Open University, informed Vice-Chancellor Chiranjib Bhattacharjee of his decision through an email on August 22, a day after the committee was constituted. The panel had been formed to investigate the vandalism and clash that occurred on the campus on August 20.

Speaking to PTI, Sarkar said he was currently in Delhi and that the inquiry would require regular interactions with people present on campus during the incident. Though university authorities suggested he could conduct the proceedings online, he felt that such an inquiry could not be carried out effectively through virtual interactions.

The August 20 clash involved members of the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and left-leaning student groups, including the SFI and DSO-DSF. Both sides have accused each other of bringing outsiders onto the campus. ABVP claimed that left-leaning groups started the confrontation during a meeting of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology Students' Union, while left-leaning groups alleged that ABVP members indulged in vandalism and brought in outsiders.

The university announced the formation of the committee on August 21, following a demonstration by students, teachers, and citizens protesting the alleged vandalism on campus.

Sarkar's resignation came hours before the Akhil Bharatiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh, the teachers' wing of the RSS, wrote to the vice-chancellor opposing his appointment. The organisation questioned Sarkar's selection, referring to his removal as chairman of the West Bengal School Service Commission in January 2022 following proceedings before the Calcutta High Court over alleged irregularities in recruitments. The teachers' wing argued that his appointment could raise doubts about the "credibility, independence and impartiality" of the proposed inquiry and demanded that the panel be headed by a retired judge of the Calcutta High Court or Supreme Court to ensure an independent and transparent investigation.

The teachers' wing also noted that Sarkar was appointed chairman of the school service commission in December 2020 while he was vice-chancellor of Netaji Subhas Open University. Bhaskar Sardar, president of the organisation's JU unit, welcomed Sarkar's decision to resign.

An ABVP spokesperson said, "Such a man cannot head an inquiry panel into attacks against us. A conspiracy was hatched against us for the damage of the university plaque."

JU acting registrar Selim Box Mandal confirmed that a new chairperson would be appointed shortly. The university has not yet commented on the demand for a retired judge to head the panel.