Varsity to ‘probe’ 2016 charge against teacher
NEWDELHI: The JNU’S highest decision-making body, the executive council (EC), Monday decided to set up a fact-finding committee to probe a two-year-old charge against Archana Prasad, a professor at the School of Social Sciences, by Bastar police.
Prasad was, in 2016, accused of hatching a criminal conspiracy along with 18 others and an FIR was filed against them.
“In light of complaints from villagers in Bastar against professor Archana Prasad, the EC has decided to set up a fact-finding committee to ascertain the facts of the matter,” JNU rector Chintamani Mahapatra said.
The JNU professor said she was being targeted for dissenting against many of the administration’s decisions. “What’s the need to rake up a matter after two years? Even the Chattisgarh government had, in November 2016, assured the Supreme Court they would not investigate the matter. Why is the vice chancellor so ignorant about it?” Prasad said.
In November 2016, the Chhattisgarh police had registered an alleged case of murder against Prasad and 18 others, named by a tribal woman whose husband was killed by Maoists. Delhi University professor Nandini Sundar was also named in the case.
However, a Supreme Court bench comprising justices Madan Lokur and AK Goel had, on November 15, 2016, directed the Chhattisgarh police they would give the accused persons, including Prasad and Sundar, at least four weeks’ notice before carrying out an investigation.
The orders had come after additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta told the court police would neither arrest nor investigate Prasad and five others.
According to the court order, “Learned additional solicitor general says that the following persons (Prasad and five others) will neither be arrested nor investigations conducted against them pursuant to the FIR registered at Tongpal Police Station.”
EC members said the decision to probe Prasad was taken on the basis of a complaint by a Bastarbased NGO last month. Prasad said, “How can they consider a random complaint and set up a panel defying the SC’S order? Is it the varsity’s job to inquire into criminal complaint?”