Visva-Bharati notice to Nobel laureate Amartya Sen to vacate land illegal: Court

Siuri, Birbhum: A local court here has dismissed a Visva-Bharati's eviction notice, served to Amartya Sen in 2023 to vacate its land, terming it illegal, court sources said on Thursday.

The central university, an institution of excellence at Santiniketan, in 2023 served the notice to Sen, directing him to vacate some 13 decimal of 1.38 acre of land at the university campus.

Sen has sought the judicial intervention in the district Siuri court, which on Wednesday said the eviction notice was illegal.

District judge Sudeshna Dey Chatterjee observed that the eviction directive is “not legally sustainable and liable to be set aside”.

“We had challenged the eviction order with a submission the VB cited was not applicable at the time when Sen’s father, Ashutosh Sen, took the land on lease from Visva-Bharati. The university, however, could not provide any document relating to the lease agreement executed in 1943,” Sen’s advocate Gorachand Chakraborty said.

‘Pratichi’ is home of the Nobel winner at Santiniketan campus at Bolpur in Birbhum district.

Visva Bharati Vice-Chancellor, however, refused to comment on the court order and said they will consult the matter after having the order.