New Delhi: Students from the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS) have penned a letter to Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud, who serves as the university's Chancellor, calling for the suspension of Vice-Chancellor N.K. Chakrabarti. Chakrabarti is currently under investigation following sexual harassment allegations made by a female faculty member.
This letter from the NUJS student association arrives just before the university's executive council (EC) meeting on May 28, where a decision on extending Chakrabarti’s tenure will be made.
Recently, the Calcutta High Court instructed a local committee (LC) to re-evaluate the sexual harassment claims against Chakrabarti. Initially, the committee formed under The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, had dismissed the complaint, citing it was not filed within six months of the alleged incident.
Dated May 26, the letter from the student association condemns the Vice-Chancellor for allegedly misusing his authority to sidestep legal procedures. It argues that these actions represent patriarchal exploitation and an attempt to undermine the dignity of the faculty member at her workplace.
The letter outlines incidents from December 2023 to April 2023, detailing the faculty member's adverse treatment following the alleged harassment. It criticizes the LC for not considering the April 2023 incidents as "sexual harassment" and highlights that the complainant was not permitted to speak at the EC meeting on December 21, 2023, a procedural misstep.
It further states that dismissing the complainant's claims undermines NUJS's values and creates an unsafe environment, especially for harassment victims.
Signed by the president and vice-president of the NUJS Student Juridical Association, the letter accuses V-C Chakrabarti of violating the university’s Staff Ethics and Code of Conduct (MCC), alleging he abused his power to dismiss the complaint, failed to recuse himself from a committee meeting addressing the allegations, and made appointments without EC approval.
The letter, a copy of which was reviewed by The Wire, includes five key demands: ensuring the complainant does not face further victimization, immediate suspension of the V-C, barring him from duties until cleared of charges, preventing the V-C from influencing ongoing proceedings, and rejecting the V-C's tenure extension.
The letter also expresses the students' disappointment with the institution's handling of the case, urging the CJI to acknowledge the sexual harassment allegations and their demands to restore NUJS's reputation and ensure a safe environment for all students, especially victims of harassment and vulnerable community members.
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