Bengal woman professor 'marries' her student inside classroom in viral video. But there's a twist (WATCH)
A video of a government-funded university professor in West Bengal, seemingly tying the knot with a first-year student inside a classroom, has gone viral on social media.
FollowA video of a government-funded university professor in West Bengal, seemingly tying the knot with a first-year student inside a classroom, has gone viral on social media, compelling the institute to launch an inquiry and send the teacher on leave.
The incident, which allegedly took place earlier this month at Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology (Makaut) in Nadia’s Haringhata, shows Payal Banerjee, former head of the applied psychology department, dressed as a bride, while a student, donning a casual green sweatshirt, is the groom. The footage shows students and staff cheering, clicking selfies, and celebrating the 'wedding'.
Banerjee, however, has denied any wrongdoing, asserting that the ‘wedding’ was merely part of a playful skit organized for a freshers’ welcome event. She accused a "jealous colleague" of deliberately leaking the clip to tarnish her reputation and threatened legal action.
The now-viral clip, which surfaced online 12 days after the alleged event, has stirred controversy. The spectacle even had a digital invitation, listing a traditional haldi ceremony on January 9, followed by mehndi and sangeet rituals on January 14.
Makaut’s interim vice-chancellor, Tapas Chakrabarty, confirmed that a five-member faculty panel has been constituted to investigate the incident. “It is surprising that footage from a January 16 event suddenly flooded social media on January 28,” he remarked.
‘Smear campaign against me’: Professor hits back
Speaking to TOI, Banerjee dismissed the uproar as a targeted attempt to malign her reputation. "The timing of the video’s release makes it evident that someone is trying to defame me. I have already identified the person responsible and am seeking legal recourse," she stated.
The first-year student in question has remained silent, not responding to calls or messages. Meanwhile, Banerjee claimed she had no role in the event’s planning, emphasizing that the e-invite was created entirely by students.
Defending her actions, Banerjee insisted the ‘wedding’ was nothing more than a part of a cultural event scripted by students. “They wanted a fun enactment for the freshers' welcome and requested me to play the lead role. Other faculty members were aware of it, and no one objected at the time,” she asserted.
Some students also came to her defense, labeling the act as ‘psychodrama’—a well-established therapeutic role-playing technique in psychology.
However, senior faculty members questioned the necessity of such a dramatization, particularly involving a first-year student who is yet to attain the legal age for marriage. “With first-semester examinations scheduled from January 30, why was there a need for this kind of role-play in the classroom? And why would Banerjee entertain such requests in the first place?” a senior professor remarked.
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