South Calcutta Law College vice-principal withdraws resignation after governing body request

Kolkata, Sep 19 (PTI) Two days after resigning citing stress-related factors, the vice-principal of South Calcutta Law College, Noyna Chatterjee, on Friday said she has withdrawn her resignation following a request from the governing body.

Chatterjee had submitted her resignation on Wednesday, three months after the alleged gangrape of a student by three men, including an ex-student, on the campus.

"Yes, I had submitted my resignation, but following a request by the college's governing body yesterday that my departure at this stage will affect academic and administrative functioning of the institute till a principal is appointed, I took back my resignation and officially intimated that in another letter," she said.

"The governing body wanted me to continue till a full-time principal takes over and said my resignation at this stage will affect salary disbursal of the staff and financial and other administrative functions," she added.

In her earlier letter, Chatterjee said that she resigned as vice-principal but wished to continue as an assistant professor.

In the absence of any principal for quite some time, Chatterjee had been discharging the administrative responsibilities of the state-run law college.

Earlier, she was criticised for allegedly allowing Monojit Mishra, the prime accused and a former student, a free run on the campus despite complaints of disorderly conduct against him, and for later appointing him as a contractual employee. Mishra was dismissed after his arrest on June 25.

Mishra, along with two now-expelled students, Zaib Ahmed and Pramit Mukherjee, was arrested on charges of raping a first-year law student who had come to the campus to fill out examination forms.

A security guard, Pinaki Banerjee, was also arrested on charges of aiding the crime, which reportedly took place in his room.

Investigators had questioned Chatterjee when she learned of the incident and whether she had any phone conversation with Mishra later, which she denied.

Flagging "persistent pressure arising from certain administrative responsibilities and limited cooperation in day-to-day functioning," Chatterjee had announced her resignation from October 1.

In her resignation mail, also sent to the higher education department, she wrote that her decision was guided by the concern “that the dignity of the post should not be compromised for the sake of seamless functioning.” Chatterjee said in the fresh mail to the department, she informed her decision to continue.

A governing body member said that during its meeting on Thursday, Chatterjee was requested not to take any drastic step and continue in her post for the greater interest of the college. PTI SUS MNB