Kolkata: Investigating officials of the Kolkata Police have got definite clues of the deceased Jadavpur University (JU) fresher, Swapnadip Kundu of being subjected to psychological ragging.
On late night, a former M.Sc. student of mathematics, Sourav Chowdhury was arrested in connection to the crime.
According to information, not only did Chowdhury masterminded the psychological ragging but he also had a final say in the accommodation arrangement at the student’s hostel from the balcony of which the victim fell on August 10 and died.
A question also arises on the monitoring of the university authorities on how a former student could be responsible for hostel related administrative operations.
City police sources said that as per different versions form the witnesses, including some hostel residents, the victim was unnecessarily asked to repeatedly face an “introduction session” by the accused and some of his associates.
Police doubt that during such unauthorised sessions the victim probably faced certain questions which made him upset thoroughly.
The police are ruling out the possibilities of the victim being questioned about his sexual orientations considering the reports that the night before his death he was constantly telling his hostel-mates that he was not a gay.
Leading city-based queer rights activist and counselor, Sonali Roy said that facing questions about one’s sexual orientation, can be at times an extremely upsetting factor for an individual.
“It is unfortunate that a student of iconic Jadavpur University had to face such a thing if it is true,” said Roy, an alumni in comparative literature of Jadavpur University.
Besides the routine police enquiry, the JU authorities have also decided to conduct its own investigation in the matter.
A committee consisting of university teachers from various departments along with representatives from the different students’ councils has been constituted for that purpose.
The committee headed by the science department dean of JU Subinoy Chakraborty is supposed to complete the internal probe within 15 days and submit a report to the university authorities.
