SPPU Files FIR Against 20+ Students Over Alleged Obstruction Of Vice-Chancellor’s Car; Students Allege Caste-Based Targeting

Pune University security authorities have filed a complaint against over two dozen students and others for allegedly impeding Vice-Chancellor Suresh Gosavi's vehicle during a campus protest on November 4. The incident has sparked controversy, with the accused students claiming the university is targeting them for raising concerns about university functioning.

The complaint, registered at Chaturshringi Police Station, cites sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) including wrongful restraint, unlawful assembly, obstructing a public servant from fulfilling official duties. According to the complaint, the incident occurred around 6:45 pm when Gosavi and the Registrar were returning from the Vice-Chancellor's office to his official residence in a university vehicle.

A group of protesters blocked the vehicle's path, raised slogans, and obstructed its movement. The complaint lists names such as Rahul Sasane, Anjinkya Gaikwad, Abhay Bansode, Kiran Dilip Savang, and Mayur, among 10 to 15 others. However, the students named in the FIR have disputed the allegations, alleging selective targeting based on caste.

Mayur, for example, claimed he was in the crowd during an interaction with management council members but not during the ensuing scuffle, and that he was wrongly included in the FIR due to his activism against university administration. Another named individual, Rahul Sasane, alleged that the university administration was specifically targeting SC community students.

He pointed out that four out of the five individuals named in the FIR belong to the Scheduled Caste category and suggested that the university administration might be retaliating against students who had been raising questions about corruption and malpractice within the university. This controversy follows recent protests by left-wing, progressive, and Ambedkarite student organizations against a university circular that restricts protests on campus, barring issues not directly related to the university.

The November 2 demonstration opposed this circular, arguing that it undermined the students' right to protest. However, a senior SPPU official denied the allegation that the FIR was caste-based, stating that the police will verify the information and decide based on the law.