Calcutta High Court Orders Police Picket Outside Rabindra Bharati University Over Protest By Dismissed Employees

The Calcutta High Court has directed police presence outside Shantiniketan's Rabindra Bharati University campus to ensure the safe ingress and egress of officials in a plea seeking police assistance outside the campus due to an ongoing protest by dismissed employees of the university.

Justice Jay Sengupta held: Even if the dismissed employees or others want to protest, the same has to be in a peaceful manner and without violating the right of the officials of the University to enter and exit the University premises. To ensure this, let no protest or demonstration by dismissed employees or other outsiders take place within hundred meters of the perimeters of the University campus/es. If the protesters violate such norms, the police shall be at liberty to take appropriate action, if necessary.

In view of the above, let the police authorities also post a picket of police personnel, including arm ones, to prevent any breach of peace or violation of law immediately in front of the campus/es. The police shall, even otherwise, keep a sharp vigil at the locale and ensure that no breach of peace takes place, he added.

The Court was dealing with an application praying for direction to provide police posting at the main campus of Rabindra Bharati University and to ensure free ingress and egress in all the campuses for the officials.

Counsel for the petitioners submitted that some dismissed employees of the University with the aid of the some outsiders have been agitating before the main gate of the Jorasanko and Emerald Bower campuses of the University of Rabindra Bharati in such a fashion as not to allow the Vice-Chancellor and the other officials of the University to enter the said campuses.

On 25.03.2025 a Co-ordinate Bench of this Court directed the police authorities to ensure immediate hassle-free ingress and egress to the Jorasanko campus of the University for the Vice-Chancellor and other officials of the University. In spite of this, even on 26.03.2025 some dismissed as well as regular employees of the University with a group of students entered into the chamber of the Vice-Chancellor with an intention of causing hurt to him.

It was submitted that a dismissed employee assaulted the personal secretary of the vice-chancellor and that adequate steps may be taken by the police authorities to allow the regular functioning of the University at its campuses and for the officials to enter freely into the said campuses.

Counsel appearing on behalf of the State submitted that as directed by this Court earlier, immediate steps have been taken by the police authorities so that the Vice-Chancellor and the other officials of the University could enter the campuses in question. There is a police picket posted outside the University Campus to maintain law and order.

Thus, in directing the state to maintain police picket outside the university, the court held: "Nobody, far less dismissed employees and outsiders, should be permitted to disrupt the regular functioning of the University. A dismissed employee or an outsider can enter into the University premises only upon specific permission/license given by the authorities. If they violate such norms, the authorities shall be at liberty to take appropriate action."

Case: Rabindra Bharati University & Anr. Vs. The State of West Bengal & Ors. 

Case No: WPA/6929/2025

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