Kolkata: It was the state’s responsibility to guarantee safety for students within universities, such as Jadavpur University, observed the Calcutta High Court on Thursday during a hearing of a PIL, flagging the recent vandalism on the JU campus.The HC directed state universities to submit affidavits by Sept 30, apprising the court on the current situation and the measures taken. The division bench of Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge and Justice Arijit Banerjee asked the state and the university authorities not to treat the PIL as adversarial but asked them to instead take measures to ensure safety. CJ Ghuge blasted universities and the state, pointing out that if the state could not do its work, the court would step in.The division bench on Thursday was hearing an application by a student, Rishav Saha, which was part of a PIL he had filed in 2025, seeking safety and security at all state universities.Senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya told the bench of the incident on the intervening night of Aug 19 and 20, when a large group, ostensibly comprising outsiders, entered JU campus and created “fear and insecurity” among students. The crowd allegedly attempted to set Aurobindo Bhavan, JU’s administrative building, on fire, threatening lives of students and other persons on the campus. The main hostel gate was damaged and students were reportedly abused by “outsiders” even as security personnel allegedly remained “mute spectators”.The application also mentioned Jadavpur MLA Sarbori Mukherjee for allegedly making statements “to the effect that vandalism would continue throughout the night”. It stated that despite repeated judicial considerations, the campus continued to be vulnerable to unauthorised entry by “hooligans, mob violence, vandalism and attempted arson”.The matter will be next heard on Oct 5 after universities submit their detailed affidavits.The universities in their affidavits claimed to have taken some steps. But even then, in many universities, including JU, it was seen the measures were not adequate, the application stressed.Calcutta High Court on Sept 26, 2025, in the PIL flagging the same concerns, recorded that immediate steps needed to be taken so that outsiders and anti-social elements were strictly prohibited on the campus. Recommendations were made for increase in CCTV cameras, recruitment of ex-servicemen as guards and checking at all gates of the university to ensure no unauthorised persons enter. It was also held that during vacations, no unauthorised person will be allowed to enter the campus. On Jan 22, JU told the court that it “would endeavour to ensure no such incident took place” and that arrangements were made to enable it.
