A first-year Philosophy student at Jadavpur University (JU), Soumyadip Mahata, has been arrested in connection with the March 1 unrest and vandalism on campus, bringing the total number of arrests in the case to two. Police claim Mahata, who is linked to the Democratic Students’ Federation, allegedly set a fire inside the university premises. According to a leader of the Jadavpur University Students’ Federation of India (JUSFI), Mahata was summoned to the Jadavpur police station to provide a statement regarding the violence that occurred during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the TMC-led West Bengal College and University Professors’ Union. West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu was present at the event when the incident took place.
A group of students on 1st of March formed human chains around the TMC minister’s car, attempting to block his departure while demanding student union elections, which had been pending for five years. As the car drove through, two students were injured, leading to heightened tensions on campus. Protests escalated into violence, during which the TMC non-teaching staff’s education wing office was set on fire, and several hoardings and festoons were vandalized. While Soumyadip Mahata was reportedly a left-leaning student activist, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) stated that he was not officially associated with their organization. The SFI and other student groups have planned a general body meeting to discuss their response to Mahata’s arrest.
The Jadavpur University Teachers’ Association (JUTA) confirmed Mahata’s arrest on Wednesday. Earlier, on March 2, police arrested a former JU student, who was allegedly present during the protest and arson. The former student, originally from Birbhum, currently works at an IT firm in Salt Lake and was taken into custody from his rented flat in South Kolkata.
Moreover, the Kolkata Police had earlier filed a suo motu case against members of the Progressive Democratic Students Federation (PDSF) after discovering “Azad Kashmir” graffiti on the walls of Jadavpur University. The case has been registered under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which criminalises threats to India’s sovereignty, unity, and integrity. Additionally, Section 61/2, related to criminal conspiracy, has been added to the FIR, escalating the legal gravity of the situation. The graffiti also included slogans such as “Free Palestine,” “Ladakh,” “Manipur,” “Hasdeo,” “Joshimath,” and “Deocha Pachami (Birbhum),” appearing amid ongoing student protests at the university.
