Jadavpur University students hold a protest rally demanding the resignation of Education Minister Bratya Basu over the alleged injuries of two protestors during the Education Minister’s visit to the campus on 1st March, in Kolkata
| Photo Credit: ANI
The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday (March 5, 2025) directed the West Bengal government to treat the version of students of Jadavpur University who were caught in a scuffle with the State Education Minister as an FIR. Justice Tirthankar Ghosh objected that all the FIRs registered so far did not accommodate the version of the students.
“All the complaints are one-sided and from one perspective, the State has to behave like a State,” Justice Ghosh told Advocate General Kishore Datta. The Court said that the complaint of the injured student should be added as an FIR.
“I find that one of the injured has communicated through e-mail to the Officer-in-Charge, Jadavpur Police Station. Learned Advocate General submits that police authorities would act on the email of March 2, 2025, submitted by one Indranuj Roy who has suffered injuries and addressed to the Officer-in-Charge, Jadavpur Police Station requesting him for lodging an FIR,” Justice Ghosh said in the order on Wednesday (March 5, 2025).
The Court directed the State government to prepare a comprehensive report in respect of the series of events which took place on the date (March 1 at Jadavpur University) wherein there are versions and counter-versions of the petitioners and the added private respondents. The report will be tabled on the next day of hearing.
During the proceedings before the Justice Tirthankar Ghosh wondered if there was an intelligent failure that the students came in close proximity to a constitutional functionary. The Advocate General said that the police do not have permission to enter the university premises.
Senior Advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya represented the protesting students before the Court. Seven FIRs have been registered in connection with the face off between State’s Education Minister Bratya Basu and students at Jadavpur University on March 1. The students had gathered and attacked the vehicle of the Minister, which ran over protesting students leaving many injured. Seven FIRs have been registered in connection with the incident and one alumnus of the University has been arrested.
The students have been demanding that union elections be held at Jadavpur University. The situation at the university remained tense with students demanding an audience with the Vice Chancellor Bhaskar Gupta, who claimed that he was unwell and was on Wednesday (March 5, 2025) admitted to a private health facility.
The vice chancellors and former vice chancellors of several state universities in a statement condemned the attack on the State Education Minister and raised demand for investigation and resolute action.
“Deliberate provocation, unceasingly hostility and violence was unleashed by a group of students on March 1 at Jadavpur University. We expect strongest possible and resolute action against perpetrators of violence,” Om Prakash Mishra, former vice chancellor of North Bengal University and a senior professor at Jadavpur University, said releasing the statement.
Published – March 05, 2025 04:10 pm IST