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Three days after Manipur University (MU) vice-chancellor Prof AP Pandey was suspended till the completion of an inquiry into alleged administrative and financial irregularities, at least 90 students and five professors were detained by the police on the campus, officials said Friday. Mobile internet services were also reportedly suspended in parts of Imphal. A staff member of the varsity was also detained, police said. Also among the detainees are several top office-bearers which spearheaded the campaign against Pandey, officials said.
Imphal West SP Jogeschandra said the newly appointed pro-vice-chancellor, K Yugindro Singh, had lodged an FIR with the Singjamei police station against the MU community for allegedly mishandling him when he went to take charge Thursday. Prof K. Yugindro was appointed as pro-vice-chancellor on September 10 by Prof Pandey.
On Thursday, the presence of Professor W Vishwanath Singh, who was appointed as in-charge V-C according to an MU office order dated August 2, added to the confusion. As per MU Act 2005, seniormost professor is appointed V-C in the case of the V-C’s office falling vacant and a pro-vice-chancellor not being appointed.
A independent panel was instituted by the HRD ministry to probe allegations of irregularities against Prof Pandey.
Pandey was appointed as the head of mu by the BJP-led government at the Centre in October 2016. He was sent on leave on August 2 after the state government had drawn the HRD ministry’s attention to the “ugly turn” that the impasse on the campus had taken.
On August 23, after 85 days of shutdown, MU reopened after the MHRD accepted the demands of the protesters following a series of negotiation meetings.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Manipur chief secretary J Suresh Babu said, “When the in-charge pro-VC came to the campus to take charge Thursday, some students and teachers dragged him away to another room and detained him for three-four hours. They let him go only in the evening. So he filed a police complaint and based on the case, the police acted.”
In his letter to the Manipur CM and officer-in-charge at the Singjemei police station Thursday, Prof K Yugindro Singh wrote that they had gone to “see the overall situation the university” when they were “kidnapped and taken to an unknown room” by protesters comprising members of MUSU and MUTA. The letter listed out the names of 17 students, five professors and one staff member.
A top police officer of the West Imphal district said, “Our officers are inquiring how many would be arrested and how many would be let off.”
The duo entering the offices was seen by many teachers and students as an effort to tamper the probe against Pandey. Top MUSU and MUTA office-bearers, several of whom were detained, could not be contacted for comment.
