Jadavpur University to seek probe panel’s views on alleged CCTV footage leak

Jadavpur University authorities will seek the views of the inquiry committee about the alleged leak of CCTV footage of last month's student violence on the campus before lodging a police complaint about the unauthorised release of the video clips, a top varsity official said on Tuesday.

The ABVP has alleged that CCTV footage of August 19-20 clashes between members of two opposing student organisations were sent to several news channels which ran the clips. Vice Chancellor Chiranjib Bhattacharya said that the university authorities would first seek the opinion of the probe panel headed by a former Calcutta High Court judge on the alleged leak of CCTV footage to external organisations.

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"We are seeking the committee's opinion, and the university will take a decision (about making a police complaint) after hearing its view," the vice chancellor told PTI. A general meeting of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology Students' Union (FETSU) led to the clash between members of the RSS-affiliated ABVP and Left-leaning student groups at the University here early on Thursday, leaving several students injured. Both sides accused each other of bringing outsiders into the campus.

In a related incident on August 20 afternoon, both SFI and ABVP supporters scuffled with the police on Thursday afternoon in a bid to enter the campus from two ends of the same road while the men in uniform struggled to keep them at bay. During the melee, the university's emblem, designed by legendary artist Nandalal Bose, was pulled down from gate number 4. The CCTV footage purportedly captured incidents during the campus violence on August 19 night, after an ABVP student leader was assaulted and a group entered the campus. The footage aired by news channels also showed damage to the university's emblem at Gate No. 4 on August 20.

The probe panel constituted by the university will cover both the August 19 clash and rampage on the campus and the next day's developments, Bhattacharya said. "We will seek the committee's views on the entire chain of events," he said. He said identity cards will be required to enter the campus from 7 pm to 7 am on weekdays, while entry will be closed on Sundays and holidays as part of stepped-up security measures.