In the eye of storm: A month later, fresh row at St Stephen’s

Weeks after a student of St. Stephen's college took the college principal to court after a row over an online magazine and to revoke an unfair suspension last month, a teacher and the administrative officer have accused the insitution of levelling false charges against them.

Yet another controversy has broken out at St. Stephen’s College.

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Weeks after a student took the college principal to court after a row over an online magazine and to revoke an unfair suspension last month, a teacher and the administrative officer have accused the insitution of levelling false charges against them.

The administrative officer is Subha Kumar Dash, who was earlier suspended by principal Valson Thampu and later reinstated after he moved court.

The charges against Dash this time are of embezzlement of funds. A complaint has been filed with the police.

“Certain irregularities of funds have come to light and that was reported to the governing body. The matter has been reported to the police and the investigating authority will take the matter forward,” Thampu said.

Dash claimed that the bills Thampu was referring to, on the basis of which allegations have been levelled, were “blank”. He said if a complaint had been filed, he had still not been given a copy of it.

“If Thampu has acted in this manner then it a clear contempt of the previous court order,” said Dash.

Thampu said,”The complaint against Nandita Narain had come from the university registrar, so I placed it before the governing body. Then the governing body decided that the matter should be sent back to the university asking them to take appropriate action.”

Narain said the allegations were bogus and it was an attempt by the principal to malign her and expel her from the university.

“The principal has raised the issue of taking extra classes for students in the governing body meet. How can I refuse students extra help before the exams. I feel I have been targeted because in the past I have expressed strong disagreement with the principal on student issues,” said Narain.