HC orders VB University to break open hostel rooms
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Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court ordered the breaking of locks in some hostel room in Visva Bharati University so that students whose semester exams is around and staying in the open inside the campus could lodge themselves. The hostel rooms were locked by seniors, and their things were kept inside, PTI reported.
The issue of a large number of students are loitering inside the campus without a room to stay was brought to the court's notice. The students were not allotted rooms to stay. The court of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha ruled to break the locks in the presence of a committee formed by the University and two representatives nominated by the students.
"All rooms, which in the opinion of the University should not remain locked, shall be opened after breaking open the said locks .... The articles inside the rooms shall be inventoried and kept in a separate place," the court said.
It also ordered the officer-in-charge of Santiniketan police station to allow two constables for the purpose.
Further, the court said that while allotting rooms, priority should be given to students as per their examination schedule. No outsiders must remain inside the campus or be allowed to enter it. "Santiniketan Police shall conduct periodical and surprise inspections at their discretion at any point of time," the court directed.
The court posted the further hearing on the matter two after two weeks.
The University has filed a petition in the court that agitation by a group of students was hampering the normal functioning of the central University's registrar and assistant registrar. To that, the court directed police to ensure the free functioning of the two. On Tuesday, Birbhum district superintendent of police submitted in court that the registrar and other officials have been freed and are assisted in enabling their functioning smoothly.
Meanwhile, the students informed the court they had not obstructed the functioning of the University officials. They started the agitation to demand hostel rooms be made available to them since they come from distant places.