It’s interesting how the journalists colour stories and how local media houses cater to sensationalism.  First some ‘students’ of Patna Women’s College start a WhatsApp vilification campaign against a male teacher and the college principal. Then came the hounding of Patna Women’s College faculty member Sanjay Dutta (he has since resigned), by politically affiliated student groups and the local press: print and electronic through one-sided negative reporting on the alleged ‘sexual harrassment’ incident in the Bachelor of Mass Communication Department is an example.

Some time back, we at Newsnet One  asked why Sanjay Dutta ran away. Read it here. But the man has returned to Patna. So now we have to ask some more questions.

Doesn’t the press know that Mr Sanjay Dutta has returned to Patna? Do they know that he had taken anticipatory bail, met with the police and concerned authorities, assuring them of his full cooperation and is reportedly under police protection? Do they know that the man has made a statement that he has been a victim of internal politics of his department? If so, why is it that The Telegraph reporter and the Times of India reporter who were so very active in reporting negative things about the man, and stirring up public perceptions, didn’t do the ethical thing and follow up on the story? It was a vernacular newspaper that printed the story about ten days ago. One would have thought that a responsible and ethical Chief reporter would direct his journalists to follow up that story, but so far… nothing.

By the way, some of the reports in the Patna edition of The Telegraph are curious indeed. The report quoting BMC HoD Minati Chaklanobis that the details of Sanjay Dutta were not with the department, and he had avoided filing them. How very curious! Ask any teacher associated with PWC and they will tell you that every year, sometimes even twice a year, the departments ask for the updated CVs and details of the teachers, because the Patna Women’s College is very conscious about its NAAC status. This person, Sanjay Dutta, has been with the department six long years. Any journalist worth their salt would have cross-checked before putting out the story, why were these journalists sprinkling their stories with quotes and with no real substance?

By the way, where is this mysterious student who was allegedly assaulted in a closed room by this Sanjay Dutta sometime in May this year at around 3 to 4 in the afternoon? Wasn’t this the ‘original’ story that is enough to destroy any man’s reputation… how come this ‘victim’ on whose behalf other students, not of the BMC department and many not of the College started a smear campaign against the Principal and the accused teacher, hasn’t surfaced yet. How come the intrepid local journalists haven’t got a ‘scoop’ with the REAL victim? Or is this victim actually a figment of somebody’s devious mind? Come on, ‘young, professional,’ journalists, let’s have an interview with the ‘real victim’.

So coming back to the point. Sanjay Dutta has come back to fight. But why are the journalists who were so eager to defame the college and the teacher, shying away from getting his side of the story?

  Frank Krishner