Case against professors of Rajasthan varsity for expelling Dalit scholar
A local court in Ajmer has ordered the police to register a case against five professors of the Central University of Rajasthan, including the vice chancellor, after a dalit research scholar alleged harassment and criminal conspiracy that led to his expulsion.
A local court in Ajmer has ordered the police to register a case against five professors of the Central University of Rajasthan, including the vice chancellor, after a dalit research scholar alleged harassment and criminal conspiracy that led to his expulsion.
The court order comes when parts of the country are stewing over the death of Rohit Vemula, a second-year PhD student of the University of Hyderabad. On January 17 he committed suicide after the university suspended him for his involvement in student politics.
The research scholar in the Rajasthan central varsity, Umesh Kumar Jonwal, has accused Professor Jagdish Ullahs Jadhav, who is his research supervisor and Head of Social Work department, and associate professor Atique Ahmed of harassment and criminal conspiracy. Based on Jonwal’s application and materials produced before it, a local court here ordered to register cases.
Jonwal was expelled on October 15 on the charge of being absent from the university continuously for 15 days. The university’s Dean for students’ welfare BL Meena confirmed that university rules and regulations were violated while expelling Jonwal.
“Clauses 4.7 and 28 of the university ordinance under which the action has been taken against the victim have not been followed,” said Meena.
“Research scholars are not needed to make daily attendance in the university however their admission can be discontinued if they remain absent continuously for 15 days but the same is regularised again with a payment of Rs 100 fine. But in Jonwal’s case his admission was terminated after expiry of 15 days,” Meena said.
Jonwal submitted his illness certificate to the university authorities but they did not accept, said Meena.
According to Jonwal, Jhadav fell out with him after he refused to part with Rs 10,000 from his scholarship money.
“Jadhav demanded Rs 10,000 from me for every semester, and I paid him thrice. But when I stopped paying the money he started harassing me and threatened me that he will not let me complete me my PhD,” alleged Jonwal.
“Later, during a departmental research committee meeting, Jadhav not only threw my research papers at me but also hurled abuses at me, ‘saying that I am not fit for research work,” alleged Jonwal.
Jadhav refuted the allegation. “I never demanded money. In fact, the money deposited in my account was the repayment of Rs 30,000 which we had loaned him (Jonwal) after collecting from the department to foot the hospital bills of his brother who had heart ailment,” said Jadhav.
His admission was terminated because he was not regular in his classes and was not pursuing his course work in time, added Jadhav.
Ahmed refused to comment on the matter.
University Vice Chancellor AK Pujari said: “As the matter is sub-judice it would not be proper for me take make any statement on the matter”.
