JU bans outsiders’ entry, 2nd time in 2 yrs, after ‘assault’ on guards
Times of India | 6 November 2024
Kolkata: Jadavpur University recirculated a notice on Tuesday restricting unregulated entry of outsiders to the campus from 8 pm to 7 am after three security guards, who were on duty on Monday night and were patrolling near the blue earth workshop, alleged that they were physically assaulted by intoxicated outsiders, including relatives of a staffer, when they tried to resist them from consuming alcohol on the campus around 1 am.
JU has been struggling to tackle the problem of entry of outsiders during night and open consumption of alcohol for a long time and issued the same notice once in 2018 and again in 2023 but has not been able to curb it as teachers and research scholars had repeatedly pointed out the lack of safety during late evening hours.
The security guards in their complaint to the university authority alleged that one of them had got hurt in his palm and the other person was hurt in his chest. A JU senior official said, "We have received the complaint and will lodge an FIR against the outsiders. We will also start an internal inquiry."
The notice said that those who want to enter campus between 8 pm and 7 am will have to carry JU ID cards. Anyone who does not have a JU ID card will have to carry any other valid ID proof and write the details of the person they are going to meet in the registrar kept at the gate.
Vehicles entering the varsity must have university sticker, else they must provide their registration number before entering the campus. The notice further reminded that use of narcotics and alcohol is strictly prohibited and action will be taken if someone is caught with such activity.
JUTA general secretary Partha Pratim Ray said, "We have repeatedly drawn attention of the authority about unregulated entry of people and consumption of alcohol in the evening. The situation has deteriorated so much that teachers and research scholars are scared to take classes or engage in work in the evening. But the authorities did not take any proactive measures to get rid of this problem."