New Delhi: The clash between students and authorities at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata has now escalated into a legal battle. The institute has expelled six students for periods between two and three semesters. A first information report has been filed against one of them, Shubham Waydande, alleging an attack on the vice-chancellor. The police have also issued him a notice, ordering him to cooperate in the investigation.Calcutta high court lawyer, Jhuma Sen, representing the students, said that the expulsion was carried out without hearing the students’ side and was a legally flawed action. Faculty members too have also voiced concern over the police presence on campus and the suspension of hostel facilities.The issue has its roots in the last week of September, when students were attacked following their opposition to an event organised by Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat, an external group affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, on campus. As The Wire has reported, several students were hurt in the attack. Students subsequently demanded protection and accountability from the vice-chancellor, Santosh Ajmera, eventually initiating protests around the V-C’s office, and, later staging an indefinite sit-in.The institute retaliated by issuing show-cause notices to several students. On October 15, an order was issued to expel six students. The FIR against Shubham Waydande was filed on the same day.Students said that the administration did not clearly provide the grounds for this disciplinary action. Meanwhile, an order issued by the administration directed the suspension of all academic activities at the institute and instructed students to vacate the campus.Incidents that led to the protestsOn September 27, an event organised by the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat was held in the institute’s main auditorium. The institute’s administration had granted permission for the event on September 24. According to the permission letter, the event was scheduled to take place from noon to 4 pm.Students opposed the programme because it was disrupting their academic work. Soon after, they said, outsiders assaulted students who were opposed to the event, leaving several injured. The student union alleged that four students sustained serious injuries, and that one student even had to undergo plastic surgery.A photograph clicked by SRFTI teacher and filmmaker Pradipta Bhattacharyya, on September 27, showing the words ‘RSS’ written purportedly in blood at the SRFTI campus.Students state that following this incident, they requested security from the vice-chancellor. Despite his assurances, students claim that no concrete measures were subsequently taken.Then, on October 4, a second incident occurred. Another organisation affiliated with the RSS, the Hindu Jagran Manch, announced a march toward the institute. In a social media post, the organisation threatened to “spill the blood” of the students. Even though the students’ union had already informed the V-C and the administration about the threat, on October 4, a mob threw stones and bottles at the campus’s main gate. Some individuals tried to break through the gate to enter it. Two students were injured in the incident.The institute issued a press release on October 5 acknowledging that unrest had occurred outside the campus and that the police had dispersed the crowd. The administration also condemned the violence. The students allege that even after both the incidents, the administration failed to address their safety concerns. They began demanding an explanation from the V-C.Also read: ‘Threat From Within’: SRFTI Students Speak of Intimidation by Admin Amid Episodes of ViolenceA protestOn October 7, students began a protest outside the V-C’s office. Following a confrontation with administrative staff, they ended the siege and began an indefinite sit-in outside the administrative building.The students’ primary demand was V-C Ajmera’s resignation and answers from the administration regarding the incidents that took place on September 27 and October 4.The student union claims that the V-C refused to engage in dialogue with them. Meanwhile, some students began receiving disciplinary notices, which included allegations such as damaging campus property, engaging in scuffles, and the unauthorised occupation of the V-C’s office.According to the students, the first floor of the administrative building was closed off on October 14. Later, on October 15, they came to know that CCTV cameras were being installed there – a move the students opposed. They said that the students were not consulted before installing the cameras.Meanwhile, the V-C alleged that his office was vandalised and water supply pipes were cut. The students rejected these allegations.A protest at SRFTI. Photo: By arrangement.Expulsion of six students, Shubham suspended for three semestersOn October 15, the institute issued expulsion orders to six students. According to the list made available by the students and the statement of their lawyer Jhuma Sen, five of these students have been expelled for two semesters and Shubham Waydande for three semesters.The other expelled students are Nachiket Pawar (Animation), Aaron P. Joy (Sound EDM), Abhilash Nair (Animation Cinema), Dhivahar Muthuveeran (Animation) and Appu Soman (Animation).Lawyer Sen said that these students were not given a chance to present their side before expulsion, not given a fair hearing or told what the specific allegations were against them.Speaking to The Wire Hindi, Sen said, “There is no clear information in the expulsion order. It only says that this decision was taken after the meeting of the Joint Dean and Dean Council.”According to her, five students have been accused of vandalising the V-C office. Shubham, meanwhile, has been accused of allegedly attempting to assault the V-C. Sen said these allegations were false.The lawyer said that the V-C’s office was closed since October 14. In such a situation, the allegation of vandalism by the students is also under question.Sen said that her office has sent the institute a legal notice on behalf of the six students. The administration has been given two weeks to respond. According to her, if no response is received within that period and the expulsion orders are not withdrawn, the students will pursue further legal action.FIR against Shubham Based on a complaint filed at Panchsayar police station by the institute’s registrar, an FIR was registered on October 15 against Shubham Waydande and others. The complaint alleges that after the meeting chaired by the V-C on October 15, Shubham used abusive language against the registrar, pushed and jostled him and caused him physical injury.The complaint also accuses several other students of misbehaving with the V-C and other officials of the institute and of threatening them.Shubham was served a notice under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), directing him to join the investigation. The notice cites seven sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) – 126(2), 115(2), 121(1), 221, 351(2), 352 and 324(4).Speaking to The Wire Hindi, Shubham said he received an email from the police at around 11 pm on October 26, asking him to appear at the police station at 10 am the following day. He replied that he was not on the premises and requested some time to come in.Police then gave him two days. Shubham said that as he was about to go to the police station, the investigating officer informed him that the case had been transferred to Lalbazar police headquarters. Shubham then emailed to ask when and at what time he should appear at the new police station. He said that he has yet to receive any official response. Lawyer Sen also confirmed these developments. According to Sen, the students first learned about the complaint through media reports and only later received certified copies of the FIR and complaint letter.One of the sections invoked in the FIR – Section 121(1) – is non-bailable. This section concerns causing injury to a public servant to prevent them from performing their duties and carries a maximum sentence of five years. An anticipatory bail application has also been filed in the Calcutta high court, where a hearing on it is pending.Tension continuesTensions between students and the administration continued on October 27. In a letter written to the V-C dated October 28, the students’ union alleged that the students had organised an event on campus to mark 30 days since the September 27 incident and had invited several filmmakers. However, the guests were stopped at the main gate.According to the students’ union, delivery workers bringing supplies for the institute’s staff were allowed to enter the campus during the same period, forcing students to hold their event on the other side of the locked gate. The union also alleged that police personnel entered the campus at around midnight and remained stationed near the hostels and academic buildings.The students have demanded that the purpose, authorisation, and duration of the police deployment be made public.‘Act of revenge’Lawyer Sen said that the expulsion of six students and the filing of an FIR against Shubham were actions taken after the students’ protest.She said that the students’ protest began after the attacks by outsiders on September 27 and October 4. The students were seeking answers from the administration about these incidents along with improved security. However, the administration did not meet with them.Sen clarified, “The legal battle and the political battle are different. I’m not involved in the political fight. My role is limited to the students’ legal battle.”The administration, students said, has continuously issued notices requiring them to vacate the hostel. According to Sen, instead of responding to the legal notice sent by the students, the administration has continued to enforce the expulsion order.Institute shut, hostels vacated, mess closedAn office order issued by the institute on October 15 announced that regular academic activities would remain suspended till November 13. It directed all students on campus, including those living in the hostels, to vacate the premises within 24 hours. Hostel mess facilities were also to remain shut till November 13 or until further orders.The order cited the festivals and related administrative requirements as the reason for these measures. The student union had opposed this decision arguing that it would be difficult for students from different parts of the country to leave the campus and hostel at short notice. The closure of the mess facility could also leave them struggling to find food and drink.While the students were still protesting the previous order, the institute extended the campus closure till December 11.According to a PTI report, a senior institute official said the decision was taken after discussions with the deans of the Film and EDM Wing.Parents join protestParents of protesting students have also joined in now. On October 28, around 40 parents wrote to the V-C and the chairman of the institute, raising concerns about campus security and administrative decisions. They also referred to allegations that outsiders attacked students on September 27 and October 4.They said that instead of clarifying the institute’s stance on these incidents and explaining the safety measures in place, it emailed them on October 23 and asked them to take their children home.The parents have demanded that classes be resumed, that electricity, water, meals and other hostel services be restored and that police be removed from the hostel and campus. They have also called for an independent investigation into all three incidents – September 27, October 4 and October 27.Teachers express concernThe institute’s teachers have also written to the administration. In a letter sent to the registrar on October 28, they expressed serious concern about the presence of police personnel on campus and the conditions in the student hostel.The letter stated that every educational institution should provide students with a safe environment. Teachers have called for immediate steps to remove police presence from the campus.They also appealed for all hostel facilities to be restored so that the students can enjoy a safe and dignified environment. What next?The key demands of the students’ union include changing the rules for renting campus space to outside organisations, holding officials accountable for approving events, the V-C’s resignation and withdrawal of the expulsion orders.Questions have been sent to the institute’s administration and the police. These include questions related to the grounds for expelling the students, the process for giving them a chance to be heard, the allegations listed in the FIR and the deployment of police on campus. UpdateHours after this report was published, a senior SRFTI official responded to The Wire’s questions over WhatsApp. The Wire is producing the response in full, through an update at 12:22 pm on November 10, 2026.Disciplinary action was taken against six students for gheraoing, threatening, intimidating and abusing the Vice-Chancellor on 15 October 2026, on the recommendation of the Dean’s Council on the same day. Five students were rusticated for two semesters, while the sixth, who also physically assaulted the Vice-Chancellor, was rusticated for three semesters. Legal action was also initiated against him in connection with the incident.Regarding the incident of 27 September 2026, a police complaint was lodged by the Institute, based on which an FIR was registered by the local police. The Vice-Chancellor returned to the campus that very evening and, taking cognisance of the concerns and apprehensions expressed by students, initiated several measures to strengthen campus security. These included augmenting internal security arrangements and seeking continuous police support outside the Institute. The Vice-Chancellor, along with the Dean, also facilitated meetings between students and senior police officials, during which students’ concerns, including cyber threats and online harassment, particularly those concerning female students, were taken up with the police, who assured them of appropriate action.In view of the proposed gathering outside the Institute on 4 October 2026, the local police were informed in advance and adequate deployment was ensured. Students were also advised, as a precautionary measure, not to congregate at or around the main gate. Timely police intervention helped disperse the gathering and prevent any untoward incident. Security arrangements were further strengthened in coordination with the local police administration.CCTV coverage in the administrative building was considered necessary to strengthen campus security, particularly in view of the vandalism at the Vice-Chancellor’s office on the night of 14 October 2026, which was also reported to the police.The incident of physical assault on the Vice-Chancellor on 15 October 2026 represented a serious breakdown of institutional order. Following consultations with the Deans of both Wings, senior faculty members and staff, extraordinary administrative measures were considered necessary. Accordingly, regular academic activities were temporarily suspended, students were directed to vacate the Institute premises and hostel mess facilities were suspended until 13 November 2026, in the interest of restoring institutional order and ensuring a safe and conducive academic environment.All representations received by the Institute will be dealt with appropriately in due course.Translated from the Hindi original, which first appeared on The Wire Hindi, by Naushin Rehman.