The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has expelled Media Studies student from the hostel after narcotic substances were allegedly found in her room. The administration has also filed a First Information Report (FIR) under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, at Trombay Police Station.
The incident came to light on February 3, when the student's roommate lodged a written complaint with the hostel authorities regarding her alleged behaviour. Acting on the complaint, hostel warden Dr. Vaishali Kohe, along with hostel staff and security personnel, conducted a search of room DS-505 in the girls’ hostel. During the inspection, they allegedly discovered cigarette packets, rolling papers, and a substance resembling marijuana (ganja) near the student's bed. The student was not present in the room at the time of the search.
Following this, the TISS administration formed a disciplinary committee to investigate the matter. At a disciplinary committee meeting on February 4, the student denied the allegations, stating that she was being framed. On February 12, the committee concluded its inquiry and decided to expel the student from the hostel. The administration then forwarded the investigation report to Trombay Police Station for further action, which lodged an FIR under sections 20 and 8C of the NDPS Act.
The student, however, has not been academically expelled from the campus and will continue to attend classes, Nari Ashandar Mishra, an administrative secretary at TISS, informed The Free Press Journal. “The police are investigating the matter and the administration is also deliberating on further course of action,” said Mishra, who is also the complainant in the matter.
On February 13, acting on the TISS report, a police team visited Hostel Room No. DS-505 at midnight. The team collected samples of the suspected narcotic substance and conducted a formal panchanama (documentation of evidence) at the hostel. Subsequently, an FIR was registered at Trombay Police Station on the same day.
On the same day, following the report of the disciplinary committee, the TISS administration officially expelled the student from the hostel. Meanwhile, further investigation into the case is being carried out under the supervision of Police Inspector Sushil Londhe.
In its February 10 edition, this newspaper had reported about banned contraband being allegedly found in one of the hostel rooms at TISS. Two separate students’ groups, the The Democratic Secular Students Forum (DSSF) and the Progressive Students Forum (PSF), at TISS were then at loggerheads over the procurement of the banned substance. While the DSSF alleged that the student was a part of PSF, the latter rejected the claims, calling them “a deliberate attempt to bully PSF members into silence.”
