INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
KOLKATA: The first report by the West Bengal Human Rights Commission, a statutory body, indicated the cause of the death of the 17-year-old
student of Jadavpur University as ragging.The rights body report is the first among multiple agencies probing the student's death case,
including police, a state fact-finding committee, UGC, state child rights body, two JU committees and the NHRC
The report by the state rights panel was based on ground investigation, and statements by hostel boarders, JU officials and some witnesses
present during the incident
JU officials pleaded ignorance about the WBHRC preliminary report and declined to comment.WBHRC chairperson, Justice (retd) Jyotirmay
Bhattacharya, said the commission would soon go through the report before passing its orders and making recommendations
He indicated they would also consider police report and replies from JU before passing the final orders
The WBHRC had asked JU and police to submit their reports by Thursday.The rights body can penalise, compensate and ask state agencies to
take specific action against any person
WBHRC additional SP Santi Das (Basak) had visited the JU campus a number of times to probe the death, collected information and spoken to JU
Sources said the team was not satisfied with lack of surveillance on the campus
The findings also pointed out that JU officials had failed to clarify why enough measures were not taken to follow UGC guidelines on ragging
or those related to Raghavan Committee recommendations
The functioning of the anti-ragging cell is also under question
JU officials are yet to depose before the commission and some have pleaded for additional time.NHRC had issued a notice to the state, DGP
and JU's registrar and expressed anguish over the lapses on the part of the JU authorities
Interim VC Buddhadeb Sau on Wednesday said they would respond to NHRC soon
