A section of students and graduates of FLAME University, Pune recently accused the private university’s administration of cruelty against dogs on campus and alleged that an assistant professor of the institute is facing harassment for feeding the animals.
Sinjini Mukherjee, assistant professor of sociology, also the faculty adviser of the student-led Animal Welfare Committee (AWC) at the institution, was served a legal notice by the university in November, her lawyer said, and the animal feed was allegedly confiscated. In the same month, his office was raided.
Flame University, however, has denied the allegations of animal cruelty on campus and the allegations against Mukherjee. “As a Jain-minority institution, FLEM University upholds the highest respect for all forms of life, which is deeply rooted in our ethos. We disagree with all the claims in question. As an institution with a strong track record of gender inclusiveness and campus harmony, we find these claims baseless and We have found it completely contrary to our values,” a university spokesperson told The Indian Express.
Nihal Jogani, a former student of FLAME University, said the dogs were beaten, forcibly relocated and terrorized by security personnel at the behest of the management. Last year, Jogani filed a police complaint against an unknown person at Poud Road station after being beaten by a dog named Kera in the campus. There are about 45 dogs on campus, he added.
“These actions not only violate Article 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, which expressly prohibits cruelty to these animals but also makes a mockery of the university’s professed values. In fact, transferring the dogs causes them unnecessary pain, suffering and starvation,” Jogni said. .
Former student Arya Menon, who was the AWC president from 2022 to 2023, claimed that during her tenure the committee faced pressure from the management to relocate dogs from the campus to the shelter and their presence hampered student movement.
“We were informed that if we do not take action, the management will intervene and transfer the dog. We explained that such relocations would create space, encouraging other dogs from surrounding areas to move in. This can cause major safety issues for students. Further, we highlighted that translocating these animals is illegal, but our concerns were dismissed,” Menon said.
AWC was a part of Student Council till 2016-17. The students said that due to the internal tension of the council, they are now operating separately as a student group.
Current students at Flame University, however, do not want to talk about the atrocities committed against dogs on campus. “I have seen brutal animal cruelty on campus grounds. However, I am not a member of the AWC on campus. I have seen the complete lack of support and the kind of harassment they have to go through to take care of these animals on campus, it is starting to affect their mental health,” said a graduate student. told The Indian Express on condition of anonymity. .
Flame University registrar Birendra Sharma said earlier that students were forced to feed the animals at designated dog shelters to reduce incidents of dog bites and attacks. However, the organization has refused to give more details about the dog attack incident. In an email in August, the registrar said the measure was taken amid an increase in incidents of dog attacks on students, faculty and visitors. A student said that dog bites have also increased recently.
On November 29, FLAME University’s security guards allegedly confiscated the animal shelter from Mukherjee’s office. His lawyer Jhuma Sen confirmed that he was served a legal notice by Flame University on November 8. Mukherjee declined to comment on legal advice.
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