Patna University has once again suspended Professor Matuknath Chaudhury, allegedly for organising a dance festival and dancing with female students in a classroom on October 6 last year. In 2006 too, he was not only suspended but also dismissed from service after which his wife took him to court and had him sent to jail for marrying a female student.
A CD showing Prof. Chaudhury, head of the Hindi department, and two other professors gyrating with female students, was delivered to the office of the Governor, who is also the chancellor of the university.
“The Raj Bhawan had sent a letter to the university in this regard and in compliance our vice-chancellor [Prof. Y C Simhadri] took prompt action against the professor,” said Prof. B.K. Palai, proctor and registrar of the university. Action has also been taken against two other professors, Dr. Dilip Ram and a retired professor, Shankar Prasad, said Prof. Palai.
“Besides, there were other charges also against Prof. Matuknath, which included stopping the stipend of a student and the salary of an employee,” said.
Prof. Chaudhury, however, told The Hindu that his suspension was the result of a conspiracy against him and was aimed at protecting two of the Hindi department employees whose appointments were illegal. “Why take action against me after three-and-a-half months? It is nothing but a conspiracy against me to save two employees of the department who have been withdrawing salaries flouting university laws. I had stopped their salaries and they proved so powerful that they had me put under suspension again,” he said.
“The contents in the CD charge is a flimsy ground for suspension. Everybody knows that wherever I am, there will always be dance, music, love, affection and anand (happiness),” Prof. Chaudhury, who has earned the sobriquet of ‘Love Guru’, said. “Let the inquiry begin. I will file a case against the vice-chancellor and the proctor for the injustice done to me.”
Prof. Chaudhury will retire from service in October 2018 and has planned to open a “Love School” in Bhagalpur. “I’ve already invested lot money in it. It will be a unique school in the whole world,” he said.
In July 2006, he was suspended by the university after he married one of his department students, Julie, whom he had met two years before in 2004. His face was smeared with black paint by some people and cased a big drama at the time. Later, his estranged wife filed a case against him and he was even sent to jail. In July 2009 he was dismissed from his service but he went to court seeking redressal and in 2011 the university revoked his dismissal and reinstated him.
“Earlier too, I was proved to be innocent and this time too they will have to revoke my suspension. No one can stop me from preaching love and anand. It is all divine,” the suspended professor said.
