Five undergraduates of the Peradeniya University have been served with a five-year suspension by the University’s Disciplinary Committee for having assaulted the hockey coach.
The agitation between the students and the coach allegedly took place over three months ago. However, the decision of the university authorities’ investigations were concluded recently, resulting in the extended suspension of the students involved in the fracas.
The suspension was extended to two of the students from the Science Faculty, two from the Arts Faculty and one student from the Management Faculty. All five of them are final year undergraduates.
Speaking to Ceylon Today, the Peradeniya University Students’ Union claimed the punishment was unjust as it is for an extremely long period of time.
“The decision was made by the Disciplinary Committee, and though there was a ruckus between the students and the coach, the punishment meted out is too severe. All the suspended students are in their final year and were due to graduate in a few months. Now their lives are at a standstill and their future disrupted for the next five years,” Union Secretary, Dimuthu Gunasekara, told Ceylon Today.
He also alleged that on a previous occasion, the hockey coach had threatened the students. Though the students had lodged complaints against him with the security officers of the university, their complaints had not been registered, he claimed.
When Ceylon Today contacted the university authorities for clarification regarding the reasons for such a term of suspension, none of the authorities or officials was available for comment.
Meanwhile, the Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA) stated that such measures could be taken by the Disciplinary Council depending on the nature of the issue. - Ceylon Today
www.lankauniversity-news.com