Bodoland UniversityVice Chancellor resumes office on bail; All Bodo Students’ Union stages demo

KOKRAJHAR: The AllBodo Students’ Union (ABSU), Kokrajhar district committee staged a three-hour protest in front of Bodoland University (BU) on Thursday demanding immediate suspension of the Vice Chancellor (VC) of BU, Prof Laishram Ladu Singh who is accused of corruption by the CM’s Vigilance Cell and Directorate of Vigilance & Anti-Corruption. The activists of ABSU, with their faces covered with black cloth, blocked the main gate of the BU.

The silent protest was also joined by the president of Kokrajhar district Bodo Sahitya Sabha (BSS), Bijel Kr. Basumatary, president of Kokrajhar district All Assam Tribal Sangha-Anil Chandra Wary and secretaries of Boro Somaj and Dularai Boro Harimu Afad (SBHA).

Talking to reporters, the vice president of the ABSU, Kwrwmdao Wary said it was serious concern for all that the enquiry against the VC of BU, Prof. Laishram Ladu Singh, was underway but despite being accused and arrested, he resumed office from today on pre-arrest bail. He said that Prof. Singh had been sent on leave till August 30 and ABSU opposed his return to office at BU for being an arrested accused. He also said that VC Singh was accused and arrested on corruption charges by the Directorate of Vigilance & Anti-Corruption and CM’s Vigilance Cell vide case no. 01/2022 U/S 120B/420/409 IPC R/W Sec. 13(a)/13(2) of PC Act, 1988) and this case is a clear evidence that Prof. Laishram Ladu Singh has been accused of and charged under IPC 120(b) as an offence of criminal conspiracy 420 cheating with dishonesty and 409 criminal breach of trust as a public servant with corruption charges under section 13(a)/13(2) of Prevention of Corruption of Act. 1988.

Though he has obtained pre-arrest bail, it cannot be ruled out from the suspicion that if he is in office he may do an act of criminal conspiracy and try to hide the evidence against him, said Wary and added that since the case was prejudice and under investigation by the Directorate of Vigilance & Anti-Corruption and CM’s Vigilance Cell, the ABSU wanted the removal of Prof. Laishram Ladu Singh from the position of Vice Chancellor of BU and it is unwise that an accused person with criminal charges under IPC and PC Act should hold such a prestigious position at Bodoland University.

Wary said the NAAC team was visiting various colleges under Bodoland University and the team will visit BU very shortly for assessment of the university. He said it would be very shameful for a prestigious higher educational institution if the NAAC team comes to know about the corrupt practices of the VC.

Wary further said that the investigation team had not submitted a report to the Chancellor or the Directorate of Higher Education. He questioned why the Chancellor and Governor of Assam had not taken action against the accused officer for corrupt practices.

The ABSU vice president also said that the ABSU would take up a series of protest programmes until a new VC is appointed for BU. He said on September 1, there will be a protest against the VC of BU in Chirang and similar programmes will be taken in different districts. The ABSU strongly demanded immediate removal of accused VC Prof. Laishram Ladu Singh from Bodoland University and appointment of a new VC.

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