Out of coverage area? Was very much on campus, says JU VC
Times of India | 22 August 2026
Kolkata: The students and professors of Jadavpur University protested against the ‘missing VC’ on Thursday though he was very much on campus monitoring the situation from the Technology Bhavan.
VC Chiranjib Bhattacharjee said: “I was present at the university from 10:15 am to 10:15 pm at the Technology Bhavan on Thursday. I was monitoring the entire situation from there on call. It was not possible for me to pick up all the calls as my mobiles would run out of charge. I went home at night on someone else’s bike.” Campus sources said he returned home on the registrar’s bike on Thursday night.
On Thursday, students made a poster that read "VC MISSING, If found contact us at Aurobindo Bhawan" as their repeated attempts to contact Bhattacharjee from Wednesday night went in vain.
PG student Anushna Das said: “We repeatedly tried to connect with him when we were under attack at Aurobindo Bhavan at midnight when the mob was terrorising us but he didn’t take calls. Throughout Thursday, he didn’t meet students despite our repeated attempts. When we were agitating in front of the pro-VC with the demand of lodging an FIR, he called the VC several times but he didn’t respond. The teachers also called him. We knew he was on the campus and was perhaps hiding at Technology Bhavan in the fear of facing us and being gheraoed. Students also searched the Technology Building but we were unsure of the exact room and floor.”
Engineering student Sabyasachi Mukherjee said: “I met the VC in the afternoon and requested him to meet the students. We waited for him outside the building and after some time, when I went to remind him again, he seemed to have vanished.”
The teachers also alleged that several calls to the VC went unanswered and no one could trace where he was. “When some of the teachers spoke with him late in the evening, we advised him to start a dialogue with students. After that he sent an email assuring the students that an FIR will be lodged by the university related to vandalism and destruction of govt properties, an investigation committee would be formed and the university would review if there are any security lapses,” said a teacher.
A campus source shared: “After the stir ended and the students were dispersed, the VC reportedly called someone from the university to enquire about the situation. Upon knowing that things are peaceful and everyone is headed home, he reportedly said that he is in Technology Bhavan. The person was surprised that all through the day the VC was in the university but was not visible. Then a bike arrived and left with the VC.”