Are the houses of JNU profs being targeted and ransacked when they are away on academic leave?
The Teachers' Association of the Jawaharlal Nehru University has alleged that there has been a spurt of robberies on campus with the latest incident occurring on the night of December 6. They pointed out that the security conditions have deteriorated on campus ever since the private agency, Cyclops, has been appointed to handle campus security. The statement from the JNUTA also indicates that the teachers feel that the security personnel might also be involved in these robberies.
The teachers said that the latest incident took place at a faculty member's house who is abroad on leave. "His partner who has stayed back because of academic commitments had left the house in the evening and the security guard on duty had witnessed her departure. It is odd that the entire house was ransacked, and all valuables were stolen that very night," said the statement. "Another faculty member's bunch of keys were stolen from his car as he stepped onto the house porch to offload a package. This rendered the faculty member's family deeply vulnerable till they were able to replace all locks. Once again, the security guard was very much present in the vicinity when this theft transpired," added the JNUTA. While they did not spell out that the guards might have been involved, they are apprehensive of their actions for sure.
The JNUTA also said that the agency has failed, time and again, to deliver proper security on campus. "Thefts have occurred in the houses of faculty members who have informed the security in advance of their absence from campus. Thefts have occurred when faculty members have left campus for short periods. Thefts have occurred when faculty members have left their houses to take classes during the day. It is clear that a security service drawn out from a cadre of ex-servicemen does not have the experience or the sensitivity to function within a civilian context," said the teachers.
