Bengal professor offers to resign after viral video showed her 'marrying' student inside classroom
Kolkata/IBNS: A senior female professor of a university in West Bengal, who landed into deep trouble after the circulation of a video showing her "marrying" a student inside a classroom, has offered to resign citing her inability to continue association with the varsity, media reports said on Tuesday.
The video showed Professor Payal Banerjee even performing rituals like 'haldi; and the exchange of garlands, putting the university officials on alert.
An official said the purported incident occurred at the Psychology Department of the Haringhata Technology College in Nadia, about 150 km from Kolkata. The college functions under the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology (MAKAUT).
MAKAUT Registrar Partha Pratim Lahiri told local TV channels that the professor has sent an e-mail to his office expressing her inability to continue working for that university given the current situation.
Ever since the video has gone viral, the professor denied the allegations stating that it was not a real wedding but was an act of an academic exercise meant for internal use.
"We were doing an act as a part of a psychological drama. I had no idea how these videos were uploaded to social media to target me. I am thankful to the university authorities for at least letting me prove my point. My only fault was not to inform the authorities but since this drama involved few students and could be done inside a classroom there was no need for permission," she told a local television channel.
The university authorities had formed a three-member panel to look into the incident and sent the professor on leave till the probe was completed.
"We cannot take any stern action without proper investigation," the official told local media.
Among the videos circulating on social media, one showed 'haldi' being smeared on the student as per the Hindu wedding rituals while the other showed the two exchanging garlands and taking seven steps around a candle resembling the sacred fire.
A Video From Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology is going viral, showing a female professor marrying her first-year student inside the classroom. The incident, which took place in Nadia district, West Bengal.
— Sawan Sharma (@sawan_speaks) January 30, 2025
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What are your thoughts on this unusual incident? 😏🤔 pic.twitter.com/hCHkQXUeWf
The student is also seen putting sindoor on her hair partings and offering her a rose.
A university letterhead with the signatures of the professor and the student, accepting each other as their spouse, has also gone viral as well.
It also carries the signatures of three witnesses from each side.
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