CNLU Vice-Chancellor Prof Faizan Mustafa said he offered to resign after the hostel slap incident, but students urged him to continue. He said his actions were to prevent a clash between police and students and protect their future.
The recent incident at Chanakya National Law University (CNLU), Patna, where Vice-Chancellor Prof Faizan Mustafa was seen slapping two students during a police raid at the boys’ hostel, has sparked a major discussion in legal and academic circles. Following the incident, Prof Mustafa stated that he had offered to resign from his position, but the students themselves requested him not to step down.
The incident took place on March 23 when police personnel entered the boys’ hostel to conduct a search for liquor. During the raid, some students allegedly tried to stop the police from entering and were raising slogans, which created a tense situation on campus.
A video from the incident showed Prof Mustafa slapping a student twice and then slapping another student who approached him. The video also captured him questioning the students during the heated moment.
After the incident, Prof Mustafa wrote an email explaining his actions and his decision to offer resignation. He stated that his actions were not driven by personal interest but by concern for students and their future.
He wrote,
“I work only for my students and at times when the line between right and wrong gets blurred, I as their father do what is in their best interest. My personal interest or reputation has no meaning for me. I would never risk lives and career of my students to save my position as VC or reputation as person,”
He further explained that when he informed students about his decision to resign, the students themselves apologised for their behaviour and requested him to continue as Vice-Chancellor.
He said,
“I told my students that due to their immature behaviour, I would no more like to continue as Vice-Chancellor and may prefer to go back to Odisha. I received large number of WhatsApp messages and emails from my students that they will not allow me to leave CNLU…They were genuinely apologetic just like me and they reposed full faith in me and my administration. In fact, they convened an open house and put the resolution of allowing me to resign to vote and the resolution was defeated with 100% students voting against it.”
According to a student, after the slapping incident, a special dinner was organised for students and faculty members and this was approved by the Vice-Chancellor. This was seen as an effort to calm the situation and rebuild the relationship between students and the administration after the unfortunate incident.
The video of the incident shows Prof Mustafa slapping a student and then confronting another student who questioned his actions. During this exchange, Prof Mustafa was heard saying,
“What will you do? Are you the police? Have you lost your mind?”
When the student asked why he was hit, Prof Mustafa replied,
“I hit you. You have lost your mind, have you forgotten who has taught you the law? A public servant is a…”
While speaking about the incident, Prof Mustafa said that his main intention was to prevent a bigger conflict between the police and the students. He said that the students were angry and emotional after seeing police personnel entering their hostel late at night, and he was worried that the situation might turn violent. He claimed that he had previously seen a student lose their life during police firing, and he did not want such a tragedy to happen again.
A student also stated that the police had entered the hostel at night to check for alcohol, and students were trying to block them and were raising slogans, which led to the tense situation on campus.
When asked why the police had entered the campus, Prof Mustafa said that he was trying to find out the reason from senior officials. He also mentioned that a few days earlier, he had complained to the police about threats given to students on the road and had requested police protection for students of CNLU and the National Institute of Fashion Technology located nearby.
He said,
“I do not know and I am trying to ascertain from senior officials. But it is true that few days back I had complained to police about some threats given to my students on the road and I had asked them to ensure safety of my students and the students of National Institute of Fashion Technology which is next to our University. A formal complaint was also lodged in this regard. It seems that some unfortunate developments are taking place in other universities and Telangana Police is looking for involvement of students across universities. I do not have full details and, therefore, cannot say anything with certainty.”
He also clarified that no prohibited substance or liquor was recovered from the hostel and insisted that CNLU students were not involved in any illegal activity. He explained that the situation became out of control because students were angry about the police entering their hostel and he was trying to prevent students from coming into conflict with the police.
He said,
“My students were agitated on the police presence in the hostel. This is the reaction which is common to all students in Indian universities. This was a natural reaction. I too got agitated as they out of their anger were not allowing police to do their official duties…My intent was very clear that I don’t want any of my students to come in conflict with police or law as I have seen students not getting police clearance in spite of qualifying competitive examinations.”
Finally, he explained why he decided not to resign after offering to step down. He said that the students’ behaviour after the incident and their request for him to continue made him change his decision.
He said,
“The behaviour of students after that unfortunate incident has been exemplary as they in no time realised why I did what I did. Their persuasion and emotional appeal to stay back has left a lasting impact on me. I had to concede because of my policy which they reminded me, that every just demand of the students would be accepted.”
The incident has raised important questions about the limits of authority within educational institutions, the role of police on university campuses, and whether physical force by an academic administrator can ever be justified even in tense situations.
At the same time, the strong support shown by students for the Vice-Chancellor has made the incident more complex, showing that the issue is not just legal but also emotional and administrative in nature. The matter may still raise legal and disciplinary questions, but for now, the Vice-Chancellor continues in his position after receiving overwhelming support from the students.
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