Kolkata, 10 September (H.S.): The decades-old murder case of former Jadavpur University Vice-Chancellor Professor Gopal Sen came up for discussion in the West Bengal Assembly on Thursday. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari indicated that the government could order a fresh inquiry into the case and said a commission could be constituted if necessary to examine the incident and bring the facts related to the old case into the public domain.

Speaking in the Assembly, Adhikari said a commission could be set up, if required, to investigate the murder of Gopal Sen. He alleged that several educational institutions, including Jadavpur University, had been affected by violent activities during the period of the Naxalite movement. He said the time had come to examine the roots and history of such activities.

According to accounts of the incident, during the Naxalite movement in the 1970s, a call had been given for a boycott of examinations at Jadavpur University. The then Vice-Chancellor Gopal Sen had opposed the move. He was subsequently allegedly killed with a sharp-edged weapon on the university campus. At the time, allegations were levelled about the involvement of Naxal supporters in the incident.

During the Assembly discussion, the Chief Minister also targeted the Left parties and called for old cases linked to Naxalite activities to be brought to light. He said the facts surrounding such incidents should be placed before the public. Adhikari also referred to Naxalite leader Kishenji while launching a sharp attack on Left politics.

The Chief Minister’s remarks came on a day when the Assembly passed the West Bengal Universities and Colleges (Administration and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026. During the debate on the Bill, Adhikari attacked the Left parties and raised the issue of the old Jadavpur University incident, indicating that the government was prepared to examine the Gopal Sen murder case afresh.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh