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Bengal Professor ‘Marries’ Student In Classroom, Probe Initiated

Well, we all know it’s wedding season in India. Every other person is getting married, but can you imagine a professor marrying a first-year student? Yes, you might have come across the video, which has gone viral on social media platforms.

The video is from Nadia’s Haringhata area in Bengal. In it, a female professor is seen marrying a student in a classroom.

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The professor in question is a former head of applied psychology at Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology.

What is this whole case about?

A professor of a Bengal government-aided university married a first-year student inside a classroom. The incident apparently is a month old, but it came to light after the video of the incident went viral. The institute ordered an investigation into the matter.

The professor in question is a former head of applied psychology at Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad University of Technology.

Viral Video:

The viral clip shows the professor dressed in red bridal attire. Meanwhile, the student can be seen wearing a green sweatshirt. Both are performing wedding rituals.

Surprisingly, other students, teachers, and staff members were also present. During the event, they could be heard cheering for the couple, and the attendees even took selfies with them.

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The wedding was performed in Hindu Bengali tradition. The couple even performed ‘sindoor daan’ (applying vermillion) and ‘mala bodol’ (exchange of garlands) as per the traditions.

Not just that, reports suggest this wedding ceremony had invitation cards and other rituals. An e-invite was circulated, and the card listed the Haldi ceremony on January 9. Followed by a mehendi and sangeet event on January 14. All this indicates that this was a full-fledged wedding with all Hindu rituals and ceremonies.

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Following the video, the varsity formed a three-member inquiry panel to probe the matter. The panel also includes three female faculty members from other departments. The panel sought clarification from the professor.

According to officials, the professor was questioned by the varsity authorities. During the questioning, she said that it was all a psycho-drama demonstration and not a real wedding.

The professor said, “The videos were taken for in-house documentation and were leaked to show the applied psychology department in a poor light”.

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However, despite multiple explanations, the professor was asked to go on leave until the inquiry was concluded. Furthermore, the student was asked to skip classes until the probe was completed.

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology’s officiating Vice-chancellor, Tapas Chakraborty, said, “The professor has explained that it was part of a demonstration on her subject. The videos were not for external circulation.”

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He further said, “She emphasised that there was no impropriety or immoral conduct, and it was purely an academic project. But, in the wake of the controversy and the videos going viral on social media, we have asked her to proceed on leave for the time being until the committee submits its findings.”

Chakraborty also said that it is “Surprising that a video of a Jan 16 event has flooded social media on Jan 28, twelve days later.”

Professor Payal Banerjee also spoke to the reporters.

She said, “I fail to comprehend how it was considered to be real. There seems to be an ulterior motive behind deliberately editing one part of the entire thing and uploading it on social media, giving it a different twist. Being a single woman, I am shaken and upset over the attempts to malign me. ”

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Banerjee even threatened to sue a “jealous colleague” for releasing the clip without context to defame her. She said, “I have already initiated a legal process against attempts to malign me. I even identified the person who did it.”

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The professor even thanked the varsity authorities for understanding her position and being on her side. She said, “They have asked me not to report for work till the inquiry is complete, and I respect their decision”.

When reporters asked about the invitation cards, Professor Banerjee claimed that the e-invite had been made by students and that she had no role in it. She said, “The students had planned a cultural programme for the freshers’ welcome, in which the’ Wedding ‘ was part of a skit.”

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She told the reporters, “The students requested me to play the main character, and I agreed. Other faculty members knew about it and agreed to the programme; no one objected to it then. Students printed the card and planned the whole thing. My first-year students and I acted, following the script. This was nothing serious. I agreed only because the students requested me”.

However, the incident escalated, causing major trouble and criticism. The students then defended Banerjee, saying this was a “Psychodrama.”

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Psychodrama is a therapeutic technique that uses role-playing, dramatic self-presentation, and spontaneous dramatization to help people gain insight into their lives.

However, reports suggest that some fellow teachers were surprised by Banerjee’s conduct. They said, “She has been teaching applied psychology for 13 years. Why did she feel the need to enact a wedding publicly with a first-year student, especially someone who has not yet attained legal marriageable age?”.

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While talking to TOI, a senior professor of the institute said, “We have never felt the need for such wedding enactments in classrooms, with first-semester examinations scheduled from Jan 30. And why should Banerjee encourage such requests in the first place?”.

With the investigations ongoing, the unanswered questions might be answered soon.

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