As the Daulat Ram College Principal, Dr Savita Roy, faces casteist harassment allegations from a former staff member, organizations have gathered in the Arts Faculty area of North Campus, DU, to demand the former’s suspension.
Since August 28, 2023, the Bhim Army Student Federation (BASF) and Mission Save Constitution have staged an ongoing, 24/7, sit-in protest that demands the suspension of Daulat Ram College Principal, Dr. Savita Roy. Dr. Roy has been accused of perpetrating caste-based discrimination and firing former ad hoc Assistant Professor, Dr. Ritu Singh, without a show-cause notice.
The case dates back to 2020, when Dr. Singh was allegedly fired without proper notice in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. She came out with accusations against the Principal at the time, saying that the latter took issue with her social activism and political stances. She was also accused of passing casteist remarks and slurs.
Initially, Dr. Singh’s plea was dismissed by both the Sessions Court and High Court and also failed to register as an FIR by the Delhi Police, citing a lack of evidence. Only after she approached the National Commission for Scheduled Castes was an FIR filed last year against the Principal, as well as DU Registrar Vikas Gupta, under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
The Quint elaborated on the various accounts under which FIR was filed and chargesheeted: “Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using a forged document or record) of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 3(u) (promoting feelings of ill-will, enmity or hatred against a member of the SC/ST community, through words or signs) and 3(2)vii (committing any offence under this section as a public servant) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989”.
Dr. Singh’s case is being represented by her lawyer, Adv. Mehmood Pracha, who is also the National Convenor for Mission Save Constitution. When the Principal came out with a statement saying that Dr. Singh’s removal had been on the basis of a complaint against her signed by 35 students, Pracha claimed that these 35 students had allegedly not even studied under Dr. Singh.
The Mission’s Delhi Convenor, Rajesh Kumar, said in conversation with DU Beat,
If Dr Savita Roy has been booked under such heinous allegations and had a chargesheet filed against her, how is she still holding this post?
The ongoing protest has been organised by the Bhim Army Student Federation in alliance with Mission Save Constitution and awaits an appropriate response from the University administration and Vice Chancellor.
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Featured Image Credits: Vanya Garud for DU Beat
Sanika Singh
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