CUTN expels student from hostel, alleges creation of posters with “objectionable content”

A student from the Central University of Tamil Nadu (CUTN) was expelled from the hostel on July 1 for allegedly organising protests on campus against the attacks on Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students in April 2022 and creating banners for the same that included “objectionable content”.

The circular was issued by the Chief Warden of Boys Hostel, CUTN, after a disciplinary committee constituted by the university conducted two hearings on the matter. Anandhan Krishnan, a CUTN alumni, and one of the students who was called for the hearing, said that initially three postgraduate students who accidentally came to the protest site were called for hearing and were allegedly pressured to take the names of students who organised the protest and created the banners in question. 

“The students were law students and were threatened that their professional career will be affected,” claimed Krishnan. As a result, Krishnan and another student Pranav Hari, a final-year Integrated MSc Chemistry student, were called for the hearing, he said. 

While questioning the administration’s decision, the alumni also noted that the hearing procedure did not go well as the students were threatened that they will not get their degree. Additionally, the committee wasn’t willing to hear the explanation from students, he said. 

Pranav Hari, received the notice for expulsion on July 1. “We didn’t do anything wrong, they only want to silence dissent on the campus,” he said. Additionally, he said that the administration informed him that the expulsion would be revoked soon but it hasn’t been done yet. 

The student community of CUTN condemned the action of the administration and plans to protest against it until the order is revoked. Meanwhile, reports pointed out that the administration took the decision of expulsion to send a strong message to students that the campus was for learning only. “Only after an appropriate inquiry was conducted by the disciplinary committee was the decision taken to expel him from the hostel,” said Dr Velmurugan PS, Chairperson of the Public Relations Committee of CUTN. He can still come to the university and pursue his studies, the official said.