Governor, VC can't probe criminal cases, only CBI should: PMK leader
Chennai, April 17: PMK leader S. Ramadoss on Tuesday said committees appointed by Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit and the Vice Chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University P.P. Chellathurai to probe an alleged sexual trafficking complaint were not legally valid.
Ramadoss welcomed the arrest of a female professor who allegedly tried to lure her students to extend sexual favours to top officials of the university in Tamil Nadu.
He said only a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe was justified.
On Monday, Governor Purohit and Chellathurai had ordered a high-level inquiry into the matter by a retired IAS officer, R. Santhanam.
But Chellathurai told reporters in New Delhi on Monday that a five-member committee had been constituted to investigate the case.
"Governor Purohit is only a Chancellor of the University. He does not have the power to govern or probe malpractices in the colleges," Ramadoss said.
He said only the college management has the power to take action against a professor found to be misguiding the students to take a wrong path.
A shadow of suspicion is on all the top officials of the University and hence Chellathurai can face an inquiry committee but cannot set up one, according to the PMK leader.
He said the accused professor's mobile phone call records should be checked to determine others involved.
The woman professor, who taught at a college in Aruppukottai, was at the centre of a storm after audio clips of her talk with some students suggesting that they yield themselves to keep the 'higher-ups' in the Madurai Kamaraj University happy so that the college gets facilities. The clips went viral on the social media.
Police in Virudhunagar district are currently questioning her.
Meanwhile, DMK leader M.K. Stalin told reporters that only a Vice Chancellor of a University can set up an inquiry committee and not the Governor who is the Chancellor.
"It is not known why the Governor as the Chancellor acted in this manner. There seems to be some confusion. Only a High Court monitored CBI probe would bring out the truth," Stalin said.
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Prime organiser of Messi event in Kolkata arrested over ‘mismanagement’ after stadium chaos
Kolkata (PTI): The police on Saturday arrested Satadru Datta, the prime organiser of the Lionel Messi football event at Salt Lake Stadium here, following widespread chaos at the venue, which prompted the Argentine World Cup-winning captain to leave the field early.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the stadium unrest, Datta was held by the Bidhannagar Police for “mismanagement” of the event from the Kolkata airport, where he had gone to see off Messi and his entourage on their way to Hyderabad.
"We are looking into whether there was any mismanagement from the organiser's side, which led to the chaos at the stadium. He has been detained, and the police have now brought the situation under control," West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar said at a press conference.
A senior police officer later confirmed that Dutta has been arrested. Till reports last received, the police were interrogating him and his manager inside one of the departure lounges of the airport.
The organiser has given in writing that he will refund the prices of tickets he sold to the disappointed spectators, Kumar said.
What was supposed to be a marquee football spectacle turned into widespread violence and disorder at the stadium after Messi’s brief and tightly ring-fenced appearance, his first at the venue since 2011, left large sections of the crowd frustrated, as they failed to catch a glimpse of their superstar despite having travelled from far and wide, paying hefty sums for tickets.
Police said they were also investigating how organisers allowed sale of bottled waters and beverages inside the stadium premises, which are banned items during such events.
Thousands of water bottles were used as missiles and lobbed inside the pitch by angry spectators, who also uprooted bucket seats from the gallery and used them as ammunition inside the field against the defending police and security personnel.
Spectators alleged that water bottles were being sold at a massive premium inside the stadium despite police disallowing such items from outside at the entry gates.
Police agreed there was an underlying tension in the galleries on account of Messi not showing his footballing skills on the field, which only got aggravated after a bunch of VIPs, including State Sports Minister Aroop Biswas and unidentified people, blocked the football icon’s view during the limited time he spent on the ground.
“We are on the job, and will ensure that whoever is responsible for what happened today at Salt Lake Stadium will be punished, and action will be taken against the authorities concerned,” said Jawed Shamim, ADG, Law and Order.
