Visva-Bharati suspends professor for making derogatory remarks against colleague

Authorities of Visva-Bharati have issued a suspension notice to economics professor Sudipto Bhattacharya for allegedly making derogatory remarks and circulating a complaint against a colleague. The decision was taken at an executive council meeting of the varsity late on Thursday. "The Visva-Bharati executive council... decided that disciplinary proceedings is to be initiated following applicable rules against Prof Sudipta Bhattacharya and also decided to place him under suspension with immediate effect...," the notice said.

The move came after the suspended professor's colleague had lodged a written complaint to the varsity against Bhattacharya. "An earlier academic council meeting took a strong exception to this act of the senior faculty member (Bhattacharya)," a notification by the premier central university said on Thursday.

Bhattacharya, who is also the president of Visva- Bharati University Faculty Association, had recently shared allegations about "irregularities" in the appointment of a 'bhavana' head on a WhatsApp group. He had even forwarded the accusations in an e-mail to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind.

"It is further conveyed that during the period that this order shall remain in force, the headquarters of Prof Bhattacharya will be Santiniketan and that he will not leave the headquarters without obtaining the prior written permission of the undersigned," the suspension notice signed by the acting registrar added. Visva-Bharati authorities could not be contacted for comments.