MHRD probe team wraps up visit

ALLAHABAD: A high-powered committee of the ministry of human resource and development (MHRD), probing the cause of widespread violence on the Allahabad University (AU) campus a few days back, wrapped up its two-day visit to the university on Tuesday.

During the violence that broke out on April 28, four vehicles, including two buses, were set afire and nearly a dozen other vehicles were damaged. Following the incident, over 50 student leaders of the university were arrested.

The three member fact-finding committee is led by secretary University Grants Commission (UGC), JS Sandu. Praveen Kumar Singh, joint secretary of UGC, and SP Singh of the department of political science, Delhi University, are the other members of the panel.

The team met students and also members of the varsity proctorial team as well as the assistant dean students’ welfare and inquired about the incident. They also met hostel officials including wardens and superintendents of different hostels besides nonteaching staff before heading to the AU law faculty auditorium that also got gutted during the violence.

The team also met protesting student leaders sitting on a dharna at the union hall and heard their grievances. They then headed to Bamrauli airport for their return to the national capital, said AU PRO Harsh Kumar. The committee will submit its report to the MHRD in the next few days. On Monday night, the committee met the varsity officials and a delegation of the Allahabad University Teachers’ Association (AUTA).

Tension had begun on the campus after a group of students surrounded the university’s guesthouse where an executive council meeting was underway.