The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the authorities of the city's iconic Jadavpur University (JU) to ask the former students of JU to vacate students’ hostels under the university's jurisdiction within 24 hours.

A bench of Justices T.S. Sivagnanam and Hiranmay Bhattacharya issued the directive in wake of a recent ragging- related death of a fresher on August 10. 

Investigation revealed that the former students continuing to occupy students’ hostels months after their passing out were not only the main brains behind the ragging menace, but also acted as the final words in accommodation-related administrative decisions there.

The division bench was hearing a public interest litigation on the fresher’s death filed by Sudip Raha, a leader of Trinamool Congress’s students’ wing.

The directive comes just a day after a team of the University Grants Commission (UGC)’s anti-ragging cell
visiting JU, emphasised that besides regular monitoring within the university campus, there should be regular monitoring at the students’ hostel of the university.

On Monday, the UGC team had a meeting with faculty and administrative staff of J and in the meeting UGC team reportedly expressed displeasure over the incidents of utter mismanagement and lack of supervision at the students’ hostels.

Already 13 persons have been arrested by the cops in connection to the fresher’s death, which include both present and former students of the university.