Bengal, February 5:
A senior female professor from a West Bengal university has offered to resign after a video of her allegedly “marrying” a student in a classroom went viral. The incident has caused an uproar, leading her to express her desire to sever ties with the institution.
The viral video, which surfaced on January 28, shows the professor, who is the head of the Department of Applied Psychology at Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology (MAKAUT), performing Hindu Bengali marriage rituals with a first-year student from her department inside a classroom.
According to MAKAUT Registrar Partha Pratim Lahiri, the professor has sent an email stating her inability to continue with the university due to the situation arising from the circulation of the video, which she claimed had left her “mentally devastated.”
“She has referred to the incident and thanked MAKAUT for allowing her the opportunity to work with the institution for the past few years,” Lahiri mentioned.
Lahiri confirmed that the professor, who was instructed to go on leave following the controversy, sent the resignation email on February 1, and the matter is currently under review.
“We will let you know our decision at the right time,” Lahiri added.
The controversial video, which shows the professor dressed in bridal attire, was filmed inside a classroom at the Haringhata campus of MAKAUT in Nadia district.
The professor, however, defended the incident, claiming it was part of a psycho-drama project being staged as a play, with the full consent of the students and the university. She further accused a colleague of deliberately leaking the video to tarnish her reputation and sabotage her career.
“I will take legal steps to seek remedy for the harm done to my social and academic reputation,” she stated.
The professor was placed on leave by MAKAUT on January 29, and the university formed a five-member inquiry panel, all women faculty members, to investigate the matter. The panel concluded that the professor’s explanation about the video being part of a psycho-drama project was inaccurate.
“It was nothing but a cheap skit of a freshers’ welcome programme and inappropriate for a senior teacher,” said the Officiating Vice-Chancellor, Tapash Chakraborty.
The professor has not yet commented further on the matter.
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