Amid the continuing crisis and tension in Jadavpur University over the ruckus within the university campus on 1 March, the Kolkata Police, on Wednesday, sent a communique to the university authorities seeking space within the campus to set up a police outpost there.

The university authorities have confirmed the receipt of the communique from the city police and also claimed that any decision following allowing the setting up of a police outpost within the campus has not been reached as yet.

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However, admitted JU insiders, implementing the proposal for setting up a police outpost within the campus will not be an easy task since the responsibility of maintaining order within any campus rests with the educational institution authority concerned.

“That is why the education institution authorities generally avoid the entry of cops within the campus to the best possible extent. In such a situation any decision to set up police outposts within the university is bound to face resistance not just from the students but also from a section of the teaching staff here,” said a faculty member of Jadavpur University, who requested anonymity.

Already the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the CPI-M student wing, has objected to the proposal from the city police.

Meanwhile, a single-judge Bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Wednesday, lifted the earlier ban on any political rally in the locality in the vicinity of the Jadavpur University (JU) campus till 13 March without prior permission of the court, which the same Bench had earlier imposed last week amid the prevailing and continuing tension in the area then over the ruckus within the university premises on 1 March.

Lifting the ban on Wednesday, the single Bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh observed that the earlier order by his Bench on 8 March had been enforced partially and the court is not keen to retain the responsibility in the matter further.

Justice Ghosh also observed that henceforth the organisations or parties willing to conduct the rallies in the area will have to approach the administrative authorities concerned for the permission and the latter would decide on the matter.

In a related development, the Calcutta High Court, on Wednesday, directed a student of Jadavpur University to cooperate in the ongoing investigation by Kolkata Police in the case of ruckus within the university campus on 1 March.

On 10 March, a student of Jadavpur University approached the Calcutta High Court accusing the Kolkata Police of excesses against the students of the university, including him, in the name of investigation.

The matter came up for hearing at the single Bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh on Wednesday. At the end of the hearing, Justice Ghosh said the court would not interfere in the matter, and the student concerned would have to cooperate with the investigating officials.

Justice Ghosh also said that if the court gives relief to the petitioner in the matter from investigation just because the latter is a student, it would set a bad precedent. The next hearing is on 4 April. Justice Ghosh directed all parties in the case to file their respective affidavits by that date.