On the night of 16-17 September 2014, police entered Jadavpur University in Kolkata at the vice-chancellor's request and removed students who had surrounded him for hours, demanding a fresh inquiry into a woman student's sexual harassment complaint. Students said they were beaten and some women molested; police denied using batons. The protest, called "Hokkolorob" ("let there be clamour"), drew tens of thousands onto Kolkata's streets in the rain, and on 12 January 2015 Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that Vice-Chancellor Abhijit Chakrabarti had resigned.
Key takeaways
- Hokkolorob began at Jadavpur University, Kolkata, over the handling of a woman student's complaint of sexual harassment in a campus hostel in August 2014.
- In the early hours of 17 September 2014 police removed students who had surrounded the vice-chancellor and arrested 35 (37 in another count), all later released.
- Students alleged beatings and molestation by "outsiders"; the police commissioner said police had no batons and acted with restraint, and the VC said he feared for his life.
- The 20 September march drew from about 30,000 to over one lakh people, depending on the estimate.
- Mamata Banerjee announced on 12 January 2015 that VC Abhijit Chakrabarti had resigned; no inquiry findings on the police action were reported.
Background: the complaint
In late August 2014 a woman student of Jadavpur University, a state university in south Kolkata, complained that she had been sexually harassed inside a boys' hostel on campus. This page does not name her. News reports describe an "alleged molestation of a female student inside a hostel" in August IANS via Ummid, and a PTI report says it took place "inside the boys' hostel" PTI via Gulf News.
Claim · Students A students' account published on the Kafila blog says the incident happened on 28 August during the Sanskriti festival, that the vice-chancellor asked for 15 days to act and asked her to stay away from campus, and that she lodged an FIR on 1 September. It also says two members of the university's inquiry team questioned her about her clothing and sobriety, after which students demanded an independent committee and, from 10 September, held a sit-in outside Aurobindo Bhavan, the administrative building Kafila. The News Minute reported the same claim that the VC asked her to stay away for a fortnight "for her safety" The News Minute.
The night of 16-17 September
On 16 September students surrounded (gheraoed) Vice-Chancellor Abhijit Chakrabarti, Registrar Pradip Ghose and other officials in Aurobindo Bhavan, demanding a fresh probe panel PTI via Gulf News. The VC sent distress calls and a written appeal to the police to free him, Police Commissioner Surajit Kar Purkayastha later said The News Minute.
In the early hours of 17 September a large police force freed the officials and arrested 35 students, who were later released on personal bonds PTI via Gulf News. India Blooms News Service later put the number at 37 IBNS. Students then blockaded Jadavpur police station; police said they lifted it on the condition that an independent probe would be carried out into the harassment complaint PTI via Gulf News.
KPC Medical College and Hospital said nine injured students were admitted there, of whom six had been released when IANS reported it IANS via Madhyamam. A Gulf News correspondent reported that "several students and policemen were injured" Gulf News.
Both accounts of the police action
Students' account
Students said they were protesting peacefully when police "dragged them out" of Aurobindo Bhavan at around 2 a.m. "Suddenly at night, the lights inside Aurobindo Bhawan went out and the policemen suddenly attacked us," one student told IANS, adding that clothes were torn and women students were pushed. Students said men who were not in uniform joined the police and molested women protesters, and many said these were members of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), the ruling party's student wing. Students and teachers filed a complaint against university officials, which a deputy commissioner of police confirmed IANS via Madhyamam. A friend of one of the students told The News Minute that police at first refused to register a complaint and give a receipt The News Minute.
VC, police and government account
The VC said: "Police did not assault them. Rather the students attacked me, my security. I had to call the police fearing for my life" IANS via Madhyamam. He called the gherao a "conspiracy where many outsiders were involved" IANS via The Peninsula. Police Commissioner Surajit Kar Purkayastha said students were armed, police had no batons, did not lathicharge and acted with restraint, and that police were probing reports that outsiders carried dangerous weapons The News Minute. He said it could have turned worse without police, as there were reports of armed miscreants entering the campus PTI via Business Standard. TMCP chief Shankudeb Panda called the charge against his members "baseless" IANS via Madhyamam.
Documented IANS reported that students uploaded videos in which police and others are seen beating and dragging students, and The News Minute noted that newspapers had published pictures of police lathicharging students IANS via Madhyamam The News Minute. Who the plainclothes men were was never settled in the reporting reviewed here.
The state government's position
Government's position Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said the impasse could be solved through talks, but "students should behave like students. One cannot support the gherao of the VC" IANS via The Peninsula. Both he and the police commissioner denied that students were baton-charged IANS via Oneindia. Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim, however, said police ought to have been "more restrained" IANS via Madhyamam.
On 18 September Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, without naming the incident, told Durga Puja organisers: "Now a small incident is blown out of proportion. Attempts are being made to create riots, to provoke and trigger tension" PTI via Business Standard. Her nephew, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, posted online: "Liquor, ganja, charas stopped. Is that why the smell of protest?" Gulf News
Opposition parties backed the students. CPI(M) leader Surjya Kanta Mishra said the VC "appeared more like a government spokesperson" IANS via Madhyamam. A Congress delegation led by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury asked Governor K.N. Tripathi, the university's chancellor, for a judicial probe into what it called a "barbaric assault" IANS via Oneindia.
The 20 September march
On Saturday 20 September students from Jadavpur and many other Kolkata colleges, with teachers, alumni and parents, marched from central Kolkata towards Raj Bhavan in torrential rain. Police stopped them on Mayo Road, where they sat down. Governor Tripathi met an eight-member student delegation for an hour and 20 minutes and asked for two days to look into the matter, after which the sit-in was withdrawn Deccan Herald.
Estimates of the crowd vary. The News Minute put it at "nearly 30,000" The News Minute. Writing in Outlook, Shuddhabrata Sengupta said more than one hundred thousand people walked, "according to Kolkata Police estimates" Outlook. Deccan Herald and Gulf News reported "thousands" Gulf News.
The slogan "Hok Kolorob" came from a song by the Bangladeshi singer Arnob and spread as a hashtag Outlook. Solidarity protests were held in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, mostly led by Jadavpur alumni Deccan Herald. Organisers urged that the movement stay non-party Gulf News.
On 22 September the TMCP held a counter-march from the Academy of Fine Arts, without party flags, led by academics close to the party. IBNS put it at nearly 8,000 people IBNS. Its delegation told the Governor that "outsiders" were causing "anarchy" and that police were right to act Gulf News.
Timeline
Gherao
Students surround the VC and registrar, demanding a fresh probe panel PTI.
Police action
Police remove the students; 35 are arrested and released on bonds PTI.
March in the rain
Tens of thousands march; the Governor meets a student delegation Deccan Herald.
Counter-rally and state panel
TMCP marches; the state names a five-member panel under Suranjan Das IBNS.
Referendum
96.9% of arts faculty voters back the VC's removal IBNS.
Convocation boycott
Black flags and a boycott at the 59th convocation Deccan Herald.
Resignation
Mamata Banerjee announces the VC's resignation; he confirms it the next day IANS via The News Minute.
Four months of standoff
Students boycotted classes and blocked the registrar and pro-VC from entering India TV. The head of the philosophy department, Soumitro Basu, resigned his post, citing moral compulsions Gulf News. The Jadavpur University Teachers' Association said the VC had "lost the moral right to continue" IANS via Madhyamam.
On 24 September the Calcutta High Court issued guidelines directing the university to restore normalcy, and the university cited them to restrict visitors to campus. Governor Tripathi blamed "outsiders" for "creating trouble" IANS via The Peninsula. Amid the demand for his removal, the Governor gave Chakrabarti full-time charge as VC IANS via Ummid.
Students held a referendum on 30 and 31 October. In the arts faculty, more than 87% voted and 96.9% voted against the VC, with a human rights activist observing the count IBNS. Scroll reported that more than 96% of arts and engineering students voted for his resignation, and that over 88% of 7,100 responses opposed surveillance and policing on campus. The teachers' association also accused Chakrabarti of plagiarism in a 2011 conference paper, which added to calls for him to go Scroll.
On 24 December a large section of students and teachers boycotted the 59th convocation despite a warning from the Governor Deccan Herald. One student went on stage and refused to take her certificate from the Governor IBNS.
Ten students began an indefinite hunger strike on 5 January 2015. By 12 January there were 17, three had been taken to hospital, and their parents held a 12-hour token fast IANS via Ummid. On 10 January the Governor cautioned the VC for delaying action on the harassment complaint IBNS. On 11 January Chakrabarti was told to work from the Salt Lake campus and stay away from the main campus Asian Age.
The resignation
On 12 January Mamata Banerjee met the fasting students on campus and announced: "Vice chancellor of Jadavpur University has been asked to step down. He has forwarded his resignation letter." She said no academic activity had happened at the university for four months IANS via Eastern Mirror.
The next day Chakrabarti confirmed it and said it was not linked to any pressure. He called the agitation "undemocratic" and "unconstitutional", accused students of "indiscipline", "militant activities" and drug and alcohol use, and said he had no political affiliation IANS via The News Minute.
My resignation is also a mark of protest against such anarchism perpetrated by the agitating students and unfortunately by some of the teachers who are members of the Jadavpur University Teachers' Association.
Abhijit Chakrabarti, 13 January 2015 (IANS)
Suranjan Das, who had headed the state's probe panel as Calcutta University VC, took over as Jadavpur's vice-chancellor later in 2015 PTI via Careers360.
What the inquiries found
Three inquiries were set up, but their findings were not reported in the sources reviewed for this page:
- State panel on the harassment complaint: a five-member panel headed by Suranjan Das, set up in September 2014 to examine prima facie evidence IANS via The Peninsula. Partha Chatterjee said it would be asked to report within 72 hours Gulf News.
- Police case on the complaint: two students were arrested in late September 2014 Deccan Herald, and by late October two students and a former student had been arrested IANS via Ummid. No verdict was found.
- University committee on 16-17 September: agreed by the VC on 26 November 2014, covering the police action India TV. No report was found.
No evidence No court ruling or official finding on whether police used batons, or on who the plainclothes men were, was found. The Congress demand for a judicial probe was not met in the reporting reviewed.
Outcome
- Arrests on 17 Sept: 35 students per PTI, 37 per IBNS, all released.
- Injuries: nine students admitted to one hospital; some police also hurt, per Gulf News.
- Resignation: VC Abhijit Chakrabarti quit on 12-13 January 2015.
Where things stand
No later coverage was found of a trial result in the 2014 harassment case or of findings on the police action. Jadavpur University has stayed a place of student protest. In March 2025, after clashes between students and Education Minister Bratya Basu's convoy on campus, the Calcutta High Court called the episode an "intelligence failure" by police and asked the state for a report LiveLaw.
Questions people ask
What does Hokkolorob mean?
"Hok Kolorob" is Bengali for "let there be clamour" (or "let there be shouts"). It comes from a song by Bangladeshi singer Arnob and became the hashtag and name of the 2014 Jadavpur University protest.
Why did the Jadavpur University protest start in 2014?
A woman student complained of sexual harassment inside a campus hostel in August 2014. Students said the university handled it badly and demanded an independent inquiry. The protest grew after police removed students from the administrative building on 17 September.
Did police lathicharge Jadavpur students?
It is disputed. Students said they were beaten and newspapers published photos of police using batons. The Kolkata Police Commissioner said police had no batons, did not lathicharge and acted with restraint, and the VC said students attacked him.
How many people joined the Hokkolorob march?
Estimates for the 20 September 2014 march range from about 30,000 (The News Minute) to more than one lakh, a figure Outlook attributed to Kolkata Police estimates.
Did the Jadavpur VC resign?
Yes. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on 12 January 2015 that Abhijit Chakrabarti had resigned, during a student hunger strike. He said he quit in protest at "anarchism", not under pressure.
What happened in the harassment case?
Two students and a former student were arrested by late October 2014, and the state set up a five-member panel under Suranjan Das. No verdict or panel findings were found in later reporting.
Sources
- PTI via Gulf News: Police free besieged Jadavpur vice-chancellor, 17 Sept 2014
- IANS via Madhyamam: Police assault students, clamour for Jadavpur VC's resignation grows, 18 Sept 2014
- IANS via The Peninsula: Police assault students; clamour for Jadavpur VC to go, 18 Sept 2014
- PTI via Business Standard: JU: Governor seeks report, Mamata says effort to defame state, 18 Sept 2014
- IANS via Oneindia: Congress seeks probe into Jadavpur University police assault, 19 Sept 2014
- India TV: JU students boycott classes, block Registrar and Pro-VC's entry, 19 Sept 2014
- Gulf News: Stalemate at Jadavpur University continues amidst talks and blame game, 20 Sept 2014
- Deccan Herald: Bengal Governor placates protesting students, 21 Sept 2014
- The News Minute: Jadavpur University protests: What batons can't silence, 22 Sept 2014
- Gulf News: TMC holds rally to counter students' protest, 22 Sept 2014
- IBNS: JU: TMCP holds rally in Kolkata, 22 Sept 2014
- Outlook: #Hokkolorob: Let There Be Clamour (Shuddhabrata Sengupta, opinion), 23 Sept 2014
- IANS via The Peninsula: Outsiders blamed for varsity unrest, 26 Sept 2014
- Deccan Herald: Two arrested in Jadavpur molestation case, Sept 2014
- Kafila: Jadavpur University students struggle against gender violence (students' account), 12 Sept 2014
- IANS via Ummid: Jadavpur unrest: Students participate in referendum, 30 Oct 2014
- IBNS: JU: Students vote against VC, 31 Oct 2014
- Scroll: Plagiarism charges fuel demands for removal of Jadavpur University's vice chancellor, 18 Nov 2014
- India TV: Committee to investigate Sep 16 unrest, role of police: Jadavpur VC, 27 Nov 2014
- Deccan Herald: Black flags, boycotts mar JU convocation, 24 Dec 2014
- IANS via The Peninsula: Solution likely in Jadavpur impasse, 10 Jan 2015
- Asian Age: JU vice-chancellor debarred from campus, 11 Jan 2015
- IANS via Ummid: Parents of fasting Jadavpur students join hunger strike, 12 Jan 2015
- IBNS: Parents join hunger strike in Jadavpur varsity, 12 Jan 2015
- IANS via Eastern Mirror: Mamata steps in, Jadavpur VC resigns, 13 Jan 2015
- IANS via The News Minute: Resigned to protest anarchism, politicisation: outgoing Jadavpur VC, 14 Jan 2015
- PTI via Careers360: JU VC Suranjan Das chosen as vice-president of AIU, 2 Jul 2021
- LiveLaw: Calcutta High Court calls for state's report on Jadavpur University campus unrest, Mar 2025