JU crisis: Former SFI state secretary in Bengal summoned for interrogation
Kolkata: The Kolkata Police have summoned CPI(M)’s youth leader and former state secretary of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Srijan Bhattacharya, for interrogation regarding the March 1 ruckus at Jadavpur University.
The incident left two students severely injured and hospitalised after they were allegedly and deliberately hit by the vehicle of West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu.
Bhattacharya has been asked to appear at the Jadavpur Police Station on Saturday evening with all available video footage and photographs related to the incident.
Earlier, while addressing the media, he had presented some pictures and video clips to support SFI’s claim that the students were injured after being hit by the Minister’s car.
Confirming the police summons, Bhattacharya stated that he would fully cooperate with the investigation.
However, he asserted that he was not present at Jadavpur University on the day of the incident and had only collected photos and videos from social media.
“I will hand over copies of the footage to the investigating officials. But I feel this summons is an attempt to exert political pressure, as the accused persons from the other side have not been questioned even once,” he told reporters on Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, Indranuj Roy, the first-year Jadavpur University student who was seriously injured in the incident, is expected to be discharged from the hospital later in the day.
The clash erupted on March 1 when the Minister’s vehicle entered the university campus and was allegedly stopped by protesting students demanding immediate elections for the students’ council.
A scuffle followed, and the agitating students claimed that Basu’s vehicle deliberately hit two of them, leading to serious injuries.
Amid the chaos, the Minister also sustained minor injuries and fell ill. He was taken to the state-run S.S.K.M. Medical College & Hospital and discharged later.