Suri (West Bengal): The Suri district court granted a stay on Visva-Bharati's eviction notice to Nobel laureate Amartya Sen regarding the land dispute between the two. However, the Calcutta High Court had already granted an interim stay on the eviction notice to the Bharat Ratna. The case has been posted for further hearing on September 16.
Till then, Visva-Bharati authorities will not be able to vacate the land of the 'Pratichi' house, which they alleged to have been unlawfully occupied by Professor Sen. Nobel-winning economist Amartya Sen is allegedly occupying 13 decimal extra land at his 'Pratichi' house in Santiniketan, the Visva Bharati authorities were claiming.
Visva-Bharati shot four letters to Professor Sen asking him to vacate the land. Later, Visva-Bharati put a notice on the gate of the 'Pratichi' house giving a deadline for vacating the land. As per the 'Will' of Sen's late father Ashutosh Sen, the entire land (1.38 acres) was leased out to Amartya Sen.
Bharat Ratna Amartya Sen approached the Suri District Court and later the Calcutta High Court citing the 'Will' of his father Ashutosh Sen. Then the Calcutta High Court granted an interim stay on Visva-Bharati's eviction notice and directed the lower court to conduct the hearing of the land dispute case. The case is being heard in the Siuri District Court.
On Tuesday, the judge of Suri District Court issued a stay order on the eviction notice of Visva-Bharati. That is, now the Visva-Bharati authorities cannot vacate the land. The case will come up for hearing again on September 16. Until then the stay order of the court will remain in force.
Amartya Sen's lawyer Soumendra Roy Chowdhury said, "The honourable has heard the questions and answers of both sides. Today was the day to deliver the verdict. For the time being, a stay order has been issued. Besides, documents have been requested from Visva-Bharati. Till September 16, Visva-Bharati will not be able to take any action.
Incidentally, following the threats from the Visva-Bharati authorities, Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen has garnered support from all quarters, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, American Nobel laureate economist Joseph Yunus Stiglitz, George Arthur Ekerloff, American linguist Noam Chomsky, former head of the World Bank and former economic advisor to the Indian government Kaushik Basu and others have also backed Sen on the land related matters.
