Kolkata: Visva Bharati University on Friday issued an eviction notice to Nobel laureate Amartya Sen over an ongoing land row.
The notice was put up at the gate of Sen’s residence ‘Pratichi’ in Shantiniketan.
According to the notice, the premises in question is public property owned by or belonging to Visva Bharati and university authorities will take a final decision on Sen’s land on April 19.
“Sri Amartya Kumar Sen, the alleged unauthorised occupant, himself applied to Visa Bharati, the owner of the premises, for continuation of (or rather, the mutation of the lease originally granted to his father late Ashutosh Sen on 27-10-1943 by the Visa Bharati Society of 1.25 acres of land in the concerned public premises i.e. the L Plot no 1900/2487, corresponding to RS Plot no 1900/2487 and further corresponding part of CS Plot no 1900, of mouza Surul (JL-104). He also applied to Visva-Bharati, for permission for construction on this premises,” the notice read.
A day earlier, a court in Bolpur permitted the imposition of Section 145 on the ‘disputed’ land at Sen’s Shantiniketan home.
Visva Bharati University has accused Sen of being in possession of 1.38 acres of land on the Santiniketan campus, which is in excess of his legal entitlement of 1.25 acres.
The university has sent three missives to Sen thus far, including a showcause notice on March 29 asking him to explain why an eviction notice must not be sent to him.