Row over meeting for funds to defend JU ragging accused
Times of India | 10 September 2024
Kolkata: A general body (GB) meeting at the JU Main Hostel on Sunday night called for raising funds to pay the lawyer fees of the 14 ragging accused students, who were given show cause notices for being involved in the ragging case that happened last Aug, has sparked a fresh controversy in the campus. Around 60 UG students from A1, A2, C and D block attended the GB meeting on the hostel ground that was called by ragging-accused students and few A2 senior boarders to raise funds.
JU issued show cause notices to more than 25 students, who were found guilty by the university probe panel, in July. Among them, 14 of them had filed a case against JU’s decision at the Calcutta High Court.
Sources said after learning about the meeting, the hostel super asked them not to conduct the meeting but they paid no heed, carrying on with the GB for half an hour. It was only after dean of students Rajat Ray called one of the ragging accused and told him that they cannot hold a GB on this matter, the meeting was stopped. “It was only after my intervention that they stopped the meeting and dispersed,” said Ray.
“We were told the lawyer fee amount of the ragging accused students has exceeded more than Rs 2.5 lakh. They told us to contribute so that they can fetch at least Rs 1 lakh,” said a boarder.