It may sound unbelievable that the Visva-Bharati University has filed as many as 72 cases against its teachers, employees and students in the past four years. And to meet the legal expenses, the university authorities spent around Rs 40 lakh, sources informed.

All the cases were filed after Professor Bidyut Chakraborty took over as the vice-chancellor. This has happened at a time when the varsity has received the heritage tag from UNESCO. While responding to an RTI filed by Pijush Kanti Ghosh, a resident of Simanta Pally, Santiniketan, the legal cell of the university furnished details of the court cases.

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Visva-Bharati authorities have deducted a day’s salary from the professors, officers and employees for Amphan relief. Challenging the decision of the university authorities, Sudipta Bhattacharya and others moved the Calcutta High Court.

The high court in its order, said, “Unilateral deduction of salary or any portion thereof, from an employee, without any authority of law, without taking his consent, cannot be termed as donation.

The same amounts to illegal deduction.” The VB has suspended three students for nine months followed by rustication. The students went ahead with the agitation in 2021.

The VB authorities did not sit with the students and went to the high court to lift the agitation. The HC in its final order, on 15 September, 2021 observed: “This Court is compelled to observe that the vice-chancellor and management should take a more convivial, accessible and inclusive approach in dealing with the affairs of the University particularly teachers, professors, staff as well as the students.

Unnecessary confrontation should be avoided. It is expected that the Vice Chancellor would follow the above with letter and spirit.” Shrabanti Ganguli, a temporary staff of the university was sacked without any proof.

The high court in 2020, said, “The Court directed the respondents to reinstate the petitioner in service with 50% back wages within two weeks from the date of communication of the order. Additionally, the University will pay the litigation charges worth Rs 20,000.”

The promotion of Atanu Sasmal, associate professor was denied. He moved court which on 9 September, 2022, observed: “The impugned selection proceeding is set aside.

The university will recalculate the salary and other dues of the petitioner treating him to be promoted as professor on the basis of the interview held on 16 March, 2019 and release the same accordingly together with the arrears within two months from the date of communication of this order.”

Some past pupils of the university, known as ashramites, maintained that no attempt has been made to revive the academic standard of the University which is going down. When contacted, officials of the legal cell refused to talk.