DU counsel says prof may be taken back, V-C clueless

It has been 12 days since the Delhi High Court asked Delhi University to take appropriate action to reinstate professor Bidyut Chakrabarty of Delhi University, but the varsity is yet to take any action.

It has been 12 days since the Delhi High Court asked Delhi University to take appropriate action to reinstate professor Bidyut Chakrabarty of Delhi University, but the varsity is yet to take any action.

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In response to a petition filed by Chakrabarty, the court had on April 29 told the university that it had violated a May 2009 order passed by the Delhi High Court, quashing all administrative actions against him.

Justice G.S. Sistani said that the university should take necessary steps in this regard within a period of one week from April 29.

Delhi University counsel Maninder Acharya had assured the High Court that necessary information would be sent to the departments concerned.

In October 2007, the university had debarred Prof Chakrabarty, who was accused of sexual harassment by one of his colleagues, from holding any administrative post in the university for a period of three years.

Prof Chakrabarty was holding positions such as the head of Political Science department, Dean of Faculty of Humanities and Director, Gandhi Bhawan, at that time. He was removed from all the posts.

Speaking to HT, Prof Chakrabarty said, “Twelve days have passed and the university has not implemented the HC order. I have not received any official communication.”

When asked about the Delhi High court order, the Vice-Chancellor said, “I am not aware of any such Delhi High court order. This information is available with our legal department. They have not communicated any information to me.”

When asked whether the office memorandum still in practice, he said, “I think it's not right to comments on such things.” Prof Chakrabarty also stated before the court that through RTI queries in August and November 2009, he came to know that department had been still been following the two office memorandums even after they were quashed by the court.