There is an atmosphere of tension on the campus of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata. A day after a clash broke out over an event organised by an RSS-affiliated group, three FIRs were registered on Monday, two against ‘unknown students’ and one against ‘unknown persons’.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the incident, the Kolkata Police registered a FIR against unknown students. Another FIR, filed based on a complaint by the RSS-affiliated ‘Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat‘ (ABGP), also names ‘unknown students.’
Only the FIR registered on the complaint of SRFTI Dean (Film) Sukanta Majumdar was against ‘unknown persons.’ All three FIRs invoke sections of the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) covering offences such as wrongful restraint, assault on public servants, voluntarily causing hurt, and criminal intimidation.
The Police Complaint Filed by SRFTI Dean (Film) Sukanta Majumdar
The police complaint filed by SRFTI Dean (Film) Sukanta Majumdar alleges that unknown persons wrongfully restrained students and two faculty members of the institute, voluntarily caused hurt, outraged the modesty of female students, and intimidated them.
The FIR registered suo motu by the police accuses unknown students of wrongfully restraining police personnel, scuffling with them to prevent them from discharging their duties, and smashing the windowpane of a government vehicle.
The third FIR was registered based on a complaint by the ABGP. Anjan Sinha, a leader of the organization’s state unit, alleged that unknown SRFTI students gheraoed (surrounded) members of the organisation on Sunday when they visited the campus to hold an event.
Sinha alleged that the SRFTI students “wrongfully restrained and verbally abused” their members and “made gestures outraging the modesty of female activists.” They also alleged that students vandalised images of Bharat Mata, Goddess Durga, and Swami Vivekananda, and made derogatory remarks about their organisation. Police sources stated that they are examining CCTV footage to identify those involved in the violence and ascertain the actual cause of the incident.
The clash broke out over an ABGP event on the campus. The organisation, which is affiliated with the RSS, had booked the auditorium for an “awareness” program. According to sources, a group of students objected to posters and banners put up by the organisation on the campus, leading to the confrontation.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the student union said that after objecting to the ABGP event, they were attacked and labelled “anti-nationals,” “Urban Naxals,” and “terrorists,” which triggered a scuffle. The statement said, “ABGP members attacked students, including female students, punching and kicking them, and throwing stones and bricks at them.” Students were chased across the campus… the library was surrounded, leaving students and staff in a state of fear within their own institution.”
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