A GNLU Gandhinagar student on Tuesday lodged a police complaint against the law school’s vice chancellor and director Dr Bimal Patel, alleging caste-based discrimination after Patel had allegedly frisked and fined the student for carrying a cigarette packet on campus.
The third year GNLU student alleged in his 16 April first information report (FIR), a copy of which Legally India has seen in Gujarati, that he was frisked by Patel outside the college mess area on the night of 7 March, during GNLU’s annual fest Pentagram.
The complainant alleged in a written statement:
“I was leaving for my home … in front of mess Director Bimal N Patel, Dr […] and Dr. […] stopped us and asked where we were going. During that time the mess workers and other students were also standing over there. I gave my outpass to […] she further handed it over to Director Sir. [She] started checking my bag and found nothing objectionable. After that she asked Director Sir and wardens to check our pockets. Director Sir asked who among us [complainant’s name] was. I raised my hand. Director Sir came close to me and forcefully started frisking me. I was constantly asking the Director to stop this act. Director Sir found a box of cigarettes in my possession. I apologised the same for it then too Director Sir commented […].”
“Being caught with possession of cigarettes is against university rules and I am ready to pay the adequate penalty for same but Director Sir for such a small mistake shouldn’t have insulted me […].”
The complainant was accompanied by two classmates, who also made sworn statements in writing along substantially similar lines. One handed over cigarettes in his possession before he could be frisked.
On 8 March the complainant and one classmate received disciplinary letters from GNLU’s resident warden asking that they deposit a fine of Rs 2,500 each with the university, for having been found with cigarettes near the mess area.
A GNLU student who did not wish to be named told Legally India that the police had visited campus on 17 and 18 April. The Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kalol is investigating the matter, according to a report in the Times of India, which cited him as saying that the Gandhinagar police is yet to record Patel’s statement.
The incident allegedly happened during GNLU’s first inter college festival, Pentagram. According to several students faculty strictly patrolled the festival looking for drugs, cigarettes, or alcohol – which is illegal in Gujarat - on students by carrying out random body searches.
Patel did not respond to Legally India’s calls and phone messages seeking comments since Friday.
Comments
[quote name="abc"]Whats so wrong about it? That these people have filled an FIR! Ridiculous!!! The Guy smokes for which the Director would have scolded for which an FIR is just heights of foolishness! These future lawyers need to learn discipline!!! Legally India you have lots of important legal business to transact! Get a life! And change the pic of GNLU thats the old building![/quote]
Just a bit of a confession here, I actually loved the old building and the old hostel. How i miss those wonderful nights spent with my fag-buddies. be it exams or presentations we always had fags to count on..and all of a sudden this new era has ushered in ..washing and fading away those lovely and special memories that i still cherish in my heart.
P.S. I might act tough but I got feelings too, and right now they are hurt....each one of them.
P.P.S: you only live once..
FYI:
[quote]16 April first information report (FIR), a copy of which Legally India has seen in Gujurati[/quote]
[quote]The Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kalol is investigating the matter, according to a report in the Times of India, which cited him as saying that the Gandhinagar police is yet to record Patel’s statement.[/quote]
Best wishes,
Prachi
Dude, if you are bringing in caste issues just to cover up your faults and make the VC look like a villain, you are in serious trouble. In the event the VC gets a clean chit - you will be exposed to proceedings for malicious prosecution and abuse of legal process. Better be sure you have a good case.
I was an alumni too and[b] most importantly an outsider from a state 1500 Kms away[/b]. All said and done, you cant accuse them for having double standards against the locals and outsiders. Do you even realise that most of the faculty members are from outside as well. Please, do not be unfair with your comments.
There is nothing wrong if Dr.Bimal Patel searched
the student.
There is everything wrong when the student produced a
pack of cigarettes.
I am not aware about laws.But morals cannot support
the student.
For one, in order to protect the parties involved, we didn't mention the identity of the students involved, or the alleged remark by Dr Patel, because it related to the students' surname and caste.
The remark itself, and whether it amounted to an offence, is arguably open to interpretation and would have been unclear had we reproduced it in isolation.
Aside from the contentious facts of the case, the story was worth reporting for the fact that students have filed an FIR against the VC, as well as highlighting the apparent policy of frisking students for possession of substances that are otherwise legal.
Re #12 above, we reported on the HC deciding against the detained students ( http://www.legallyindia.com/201302243464/Law-schools/gnlu-wins-goodness-detained-appeal ) but we were not aware of the SC having rejected their appeal. Do you have any links on that?
Best wishes,
Kian
As the editor, you have the choice to censor - but it is at the cost of losing your reputation as an independent and fair journalist.
Disclosing what caste based comments were made would make the story newsworthy - it makes no sense to say that disclosing the surnname / caste would be detrimental. Are you saying your team is not intelligent enough to describe what objectionable and caste-based things the VC had allegedly said? Please update us - label it as an "allegation" if you prefer.
Thanks.
But, the same conduct cannot be questioned outside the university as every institutions gives due respect to the students’ private life even when institutions realize that smoking as a habit is hazardous to none but the students’ life only. What has become apparent in this case is that at least his institution bothers to check the prevalence of this habit amongst students... to which the institution and its authorities have a moral obligation not only against the students who smoke...but also to ensure that the majority non-smoking students do not get used to this habit...Concern should not be against students who smoke deliberately knowing the ill effects of the habit...but rather to protect those students who shall become vulnerable to this habit...