The Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) has described a fact-finding exercise launched by a group of protesting students as "unauthorised." Institute authorities alleged that the move is intended to distort the factual record, create competing narratives, and undermine an ongoing investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
According to SRFTI Registrar Deepak Kumar, the incidents occurring since September 27, including alleged attacks on students, are already being investigated by the West Bengal government's SIT. Mr. Kumar further noted that the institute has established its own internal fact-finding committee to examine the campus violence, questioning the legitimacy of any parallel probe conducted by an external organisation.
Addressing the students' decision to form their own panel, the Registrar stated that such attempts appear designed to foment tension and keep the issue alive rather than returning the campus to normalcy. He added that using students to advance political or extraneous agendas is unacceptable and harmful to their academic interests.
SRFTI, which operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, has seen protests since September 27 following alleged attacks on students during an Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat event linked to the RSS. The institute has affirmed its full cooperation with the SIT and urged all parties to respect the legal process.
