National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Chief Priyank Kanoongo has written to West Bengal Police Director General (DG) Manoj Malviya to initiate necessary action in the Jadavpur University (JU) student death case. The DG also has been directed to submit an action taken report to the commission within seven days.
NCPCR letter
"The Commission...requests your good offices to inquire into the matter and take necessary action. Further, an action taken report may be submitted to the Commission within 07 days of receipt of this letter," the letter reads. It also mentions that NCPCR has taken suo-moto cognizance under Section 13/(1)(j) of CPCR Act, 2005, as the matter points to prima-facie violations of various provisions of the law and UGC Regulations on Curbing The Menace Of Ragging In Higher Educational Institutions, 2009, according to a report by ANI.
On August 14, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of West Bengal calling for a report on the JU student death within four weeks. Additionally, the West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) on Thursday, August 17, claimed that the university authorities were trying to cover up their incompetence in connection with the case.
WBPCR unhappy...
The WBCPCR said in a statement that it has sent a show-cause notice to the varsity over the death, and was "extremely unhappy" with the reply it received. The commission has sent another letter to JU asking the authorities once again why steps should not be initiated against them for acting in violation of UGC regulations and the Supreme Court judgment on the issue, as per a separate report by PTI.
"The Commission feels that this response reflects the gross insincerity of the University administration where they have tried to shrug off all responsibilities of the said incident instead of accepting and acknowledging their failure and failing to chart out a road map towards systemic reforms in order to eradicate ragging and other malpractices from the University campus," the statement reads.
Central probe needed
Meanwhile, referring to the arrest of a Kashmiri boy in the case, West Bengal Assembly Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
"A boy from Kashmir was arrested today. Who issued a residential certificate to him? How did he get the OBC A certificate?... The case has now become multi-state so it's a fit case for CBI and NIA," Adhikari said, as noted in another report by ANI.
Here's what happened
First-year UG student, Swapnadeep Kundu, fell to his death from the second floor of a hostel building at JU on August 10. He was found naked, in a pool of blood. Several sections of students and faculty alleged ragging and sexual harassment by seniors.
Police have apprehended nine people in the incident so far, including current as well as former students. It has also come to light that the hostels did not have any CCTV cameras, violating norms. Further investigation is ongoing.
