RGNUL administration officer resigns; students demand inquiry report be made public

PATIALA: The Administration Officer (AO) of Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL) of Punjab who faced a judicial inquiry over the allegations of making sexual remarks against hostel girls and suspending six students for protesting over the bad quality mess food has resigned from his post. The students claimed that authorities were trying to conceal this information and the probe report as there were substantial evidence against the AO.
The information about the resignation of AO, SP Singh, came out only after the RGNUL University students had sought and availed information under the RTI Act. The information was retrieved in August this year.
According to the information under RTI Act, AO SP Singh had submitted his resignation in June this year and mentioned that he had worked for eight long years in the university and was only abiding the instructions and guidance of his immediate senior officials that include Vice-Chancellor and Registrar of RGNUL.
In his resignation, he claimed that he was grossly misunderstood by the students whom he had considered as his own children since he joined.
Confirming the development RGNUL Registrar Naresh Kumar said, “The AO had resigned a long time back. He resigned in June this year.”
The investigation against the AO was initiated on April 19 with the recording of statements of students.
However, later the students feared to appear as a witness inside the campus and demanded an alternative.
“The university Chancellor, sitting Chief Justice of the High Court, appointed the Additional District Session Judge Patiala to conduct the probe and hearings in his court where numerous students depose before the court and recorded their statements. There were sufficient evidence against SP Singh and the university administration following which the AO resigned a week before the submission of an inquiry report. The authorities are not making it public but we have sought information under RTI Act to avail the probe report,"said Arjun Sheron, counsel for RGNUL students.
In March this year, the students in RGNUL protested against the authorities following bad quality food being served in the mess. The students banged their plates in protest following which six students were placed under suspension. The students then went on indefinite strike and then also levelled allegations against the AO for allegedly abusing hostel girls and making sexual remarks. However, on March 20 they ended their indefinite strike after their demands including the revocation of all the suspended six students, hygienic food, and inquiry against AO SP Singh to be followed with suspension if found guilty. The Administrative Officer was however sent on three months forcibly leave.