Former JNUSU Councilor Swati Singh Rusticated, Declared Out of Bounds without Inquiry: JNUSU

The student’s association claimed that Hostel Presidents and Student Activists Being Targeted by JNU Administration for Demanding Basic Rights

The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) has claimed that the JNU administration has been since the past few months continuously targeting student activists and representatives for raising pertinent issues of the student community.

It has claimed that Scores of activists and representatives belonging to different organizations have been receiving notice after notice from Proctor’s Office and are being punished without following any due enquiry procedures. JNU Vice-Chancellor’s Office and the Office of the Chief Proctor has still not given a written reply to the letter submitted by the students demanding to withdraw the enquiry. Tajjamul Hussain, the President of Sutlej Hostel has been additionally served with a notice asking him to immediately vacate the hostel room.

In its latest move, the Chief Proctor's Office of the University has rusticated former JNUSU Councillor Swati Singh for two semesters, along with an out-of-bounds order from JNU. This extraordinary action has been taken over a charge based on a complaint to the Proctor’s Office for ‘manhandling’ and ‘misbehaving’ with security guards at the gate of the Convention Centre during the admissions process

“However, it has been brought to our notice the Chief Proctor did not provide her with information about the complainant, what exactly the complaint is, any evidence regarding the accusations, or the opportunity to cross-examine witnesses, if any. During the same admission process, ABVP goons misbehaved with multiple female activists of various organizations, but no action has been initiated against any of them,” it stated.

An eviction order from the hostel room was also served to Swati Singh on 3rd November 2023. Apart from the current action, Swati has been served over 15 show cause notices by the Proctor's Office for various acts of democratic protests and has been punished four times, all matters which are pending before the courts.

In just this semester, two impositions of heavy fines of Rs. 10,000 and in both cases, the courts permitted registration upon payment of fines pending a further examination of the cases for procedure. The Proctor's Office issued a fresh show cause notice to Swati, on which she has now been rusticated for two semesters

JNUSU has alleged that the JNU administration has also been targeting various Hostel Presidents and student activists for protesting inhuman living conditions and demanding a basic right to water in hostels.

The Vice-Chancellor’s Office and the Office of the Chief Proctor has still not given a written reply to the letter submitted by the students demanding to withdraw the enquiry. Moreover, Tajjamul Hussain, the President of Sutlej Hostel has been additionally served with a notice asking him to immediately vacate the hostel room.

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