The Calcutta High Court on Thursday ordered union rooms of all state-run and state-aided colleges and universities to remain locked and out of use, except when “written permission of the registrar of the university” is taken.
The division bench of Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Smita Das De observed that a directive in this regard has to be issued by the state’s Higher Education department.
Counsel Sayan Banerjee submitted in the court, “No student council or student union is there, but the room is there… union fees are being collected from students.”
Speaking to The Indian Express, Banerjee said, “We had moved a PIL at the Calcutta High Court. There are colleges where student union fees are taken, but there are no union rooms.”
At the court, senior counsel Kalyan Banerjee appearing for the state submitted that the administration has “no role to play in why outsiders are coming into the college. The college has to impose restrictions; we have nothing to do with this. We do not know if the rooms are used by the students.”
The division bench in its order said, “In some of the universities, no election has taken place. We direct the department of Higher Education to give a directive to all colleges and universities that all the student union rooms shall be put under lock and key… The purpose (of use) should be disclosed, and it should not be used for recreational purposes. The order is applicable to all colleges and universities where there is an identified union room.”
Meanwhile, on the PILs filed over the rape at a law college in South Kolkata, the same division bench sought an affidavit from the state and the college’s authorities on how outsiders have “free access” to the college campus.
The court has further directed the state to submit a progress report on the investigation of the case on the next date of hearing. It has also directed the college to submit a report on its security and “other issues”.
The rape survivor’s counsel, Arindam Jana, submitted on her behalf, “Everything is revolving around me and I have not been made a party.” The state counsel said that the administration had “done everything”: “After the FIR was registered, within 3 hours, woman police officers arrested the prime accused,” the state counsel said.