SILCHAR, Sept 28 - Students and research scholars of Assam University Silchar put the office of the Vice Chancellor under lock and key today and demanded an explanation on the varsity�s move to send Prof Sameer Behera, a senior faculty and former Head of the Department of Mathematics on �long leave�.
Milon Das, president of the students� union informed that the university authorities are trying to shield Prof Behera, who was found guilty of depriving a deserving research scholar from getting his fellowship. Dibyendu Saha, a scholar of the department had applied for the Inspire fellowship banking on his eligibility of securing the first class first position in his post- graduate examination.
However, his application was not forwarded by Prof Behera from March 2017 till January 2018. When Saha approached the Vice Chancellor regarding his issue, the authorities issued instructions to Prof Behera to forward the application. But Prof Behera paid no heed to the order.
Later, in an Executive Council meeting held two months ago, Prof Behera was found guilty of playing with the career of students and an order was issued sending the faculty on long leave. Challenging this step, Prof Behera had filed a writ petition in the Gauhati High Court.
However, on September 19, the court vide a letter asked the university authority to appear on September 26 and state reasons for sending the faculty on long leave. Das added to inform that on the same day the university had withdrawn the long leave order and no one appeared before the Court on the given date of hearing.
�When we went to the Vice Chancellor on Thursday night for an explanation on this mysterious move, he attempted to skip our questions for which we had to resort to surround his office and even his residence. Unfortunately, he managed to escape. We demand that the university should come up with a proper explanation on the �long leave� issue and also take steps to oust the accused from the university. If the authorities fail to fulfil our demands, we shall not allow the Vice Chancellor to enter his office,� Das told the media.
On the other hand, when asked for reactions on the issue, the Vice Chancellor chose to say, �no comments on this. I am on my way to New Delhi to attend a meeting with the Prime Minister.�
Echoing him, Registrar Prof Sanjib Bhattacharjee said �I have nothing to comment on a sub-judice matter.�
