Makaut exams postponed after protest over girl death
Times of India | 12 February 2025
Kolkata: The first-semester examinations were postponed at Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology's Haringhata campus on Tuesday as students blocked gates to protest against the "delayed medical response" to a student who had jumped off the building on Monday.
First-year PG student Sayani Sen from Durgapur had gone missing after Monday's examination. Her mother became worried when her daughter didn't return home. Her phone was unreachable. The mother contacted university officials, and an injured Sayani was found lying on the ground behind the academic building.
"We found her mobile and spectacle on the rooftop and her bag on the fourth floor. It indicated that she jumped from the rooftop," said students' leader Kaushik Saha.
Sources revealed that Sayani had been reprimanded during the examination for allegedly using unfair means. The invigilator had reportedly confiscated her script before returning it later.
Students claimed it took 40 minutes to transport her to Haringhata Rural Hospital due to ambulance unavailability. "The on-duty doctor said that if we had managed to bring her a little early, her life could have been saved," said Saha. Sayani died while being transported to the hospital.
Following her death, students blocked NH 12 near the university entrance. According to police, the blockade lasted until 10 pm, causing traffic congestion on NH 12 and surrounding roads. On Tuesday morning, students secured the university gates, accused authorities of negligence, and demanded the registrar's resignation. VC Tapas Chakraborty announced the postponement of examinations through an official notification. Despite discussions between students and administration, no resolution was reached by evening.