Bolpur (West Bengal): Visva Bharati has issued a show cause notice to Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen asking him to explain why an eviction order should not be issued against him for alleged illegal occupation of about 13 decimal of land owned by the University.
The University authorities have also asked Sen to either appear in person at Visva Bharati's central office in Bolpur in Birbhum district on March 29 or send an authorized representative along with relevant evidence and documents which he wishes to produce in support of his stand.
The letter further stated that in case Sen fails to appear in person or to send an authorized representative then the hearing will be held on a one-sided basis and action will be taken accordingly. " In case, you or your authorized representative fail to appear on the said date and time, the case may bediced ex-parte," stated the letter by Visva Bharati authorities.
Also Read: BLL&RO registered the land in my name, says Amartya Sen
Sen's grandfather Khitimohan Sen was a close aide of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore in setting up the Visva Bharati University. Sen's family has been residing in the 'Pratichi' residence in Shantinikatan since the time of Tagore.
The said land was leazed in favor of Sen's late father Ashutosh Sen for 99 years in 1943 and in 2005 mutation of the land was conducted in favor of Amartya Sen. The Visva Bharati authorities have been alleging that about 13 decimal of land has been illegally occupied through Sen's Pratichi residence.
" It has been found that you are in occupation of more or less 13 decimals of excess land (i.e. in addition to the leased land) in the scheduled public premises...of Visva Bharati, owned by Visva Bharati, without any authority," stated the notice. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in January visited Sen's residence and Shantinikatan and handed over the documents regarding the said land to him.
