Students of North Bengal University’s Department of Computer Science and Applications, on Tuesday, padlocked their department in protest against the delay in taking action against a teacher, who has been accused of several grounds of misconduct, including sexual harassment.
The students further alleged administrative reluctance in the entire incident. However, the teacher in question, Dilip Roy Chowdhury, has refuted the allegations and said that they were baseless.
The agitators, however, maintained that the said department will remain closed until step is taken in connection with the matter. “We have been protesting the misconduct of the teacher concerned for the past few months. Based on our complaint, an enquiry was conducted, and few of our students were individually called. The report of the enquiry was to be announced after seven to eight days, but no such report has come up. The teacher in question was only sent on compulsory leave, which we oppose,” the students said.
“We demand immediate steps to be taken against the teacher. The department will remain closed until such steps are taken,” they said. Meanwhile, NBU Registrar Dr Dilip Sarkar said the report has reached the vice-chancellor (V-C) and investigations are underway.
“The reports of the enquiry committee constituted in December last year have reached the VC. In the meantime, the teacher accused has been asked to go on compulsory leave. Investigations are going on,” he said.
It may be recalled that on 29 March, around 300 students marched across the NBU campus, shouting slogans and they then staged a demonstration before the administrative department, demanding punishment for the teacher in question.