The Madras High Court on Thursday directed the Puducherry Home Secretary, the DGP and the officer-on-special-duty-cum-Superintendent of Police to provide adequate police protection on the Pondicherry University campus to avoid any untoward incident.
Passing orders on a petition moved by C. Vinod Kumar, a student at the university, about the prevailing situation on the campus, Justice N. Kirubakaran directed the DGP and the SP to appear before the court on November 11 and file a status report.
In his petition, Mr. Vinod Kumar submitted that the atmosphere at the university remained vitiated with even teaching and administrative staff joining various groups and fighting among themselves.
Violent clashes
He referred to the violent clashes that took place on the campus in August 2015 in which university properties were vandalised and students prevented from attending classes. Despite FIRs being filed, no action had been taken, he said.
Justice Kirubakaran said a perusal of the various FIRs showed that the atmosphere in the campus was indeed marred by violent acts.
“It is strange that in a higher educational institution, teaching staff, administrative staff and students along with third parties form groups and fight with each other paralysing the entire institution, which is not good for any of the stake holders,” he said.
The judge in his order also made note of a letter circulated by the Pondicherry University Employees’ Joint Action Committee (PU-EJAC), citing the vice-chancellor as an accused under Sec. 420 of the IPC. Justice Kirubakaran said it was unfortunate that a vice-chancellor was sought to be stopped from entering into her office even though there were other ways and means to fight against the VC as per law.
‘Volatile situation’
Citing the letter, the judge said that it prima facie demonstrated that the situation had become volatile and could go out of control.
The judge also said that despite FIRs being filed in the 2015 incident, “no investigation has been conducted so far. There is no point in registering FIRs without conducting investigation and laying a charge-sheet,” he said.
Criticising the Home Secretary, the DGP and the SP, Mr. Justice Kirubakaran said: “They are not only disinterested in investigating the case but are also not protecting the university from the miscreants.” He then sought a report on a number of queries including the number of FIRs filed and the status of the case.
