KOLKATA: An executive magistrate at Bolpur in West Bengal's Birbhum district has ordered police intervention to keep the peace following the land dispute between Visva-Bharati University authorities and Nobel Laureate economist Amartya Sen over a 'disputed portion' of land in possession of the latter within the university grounds.

The order was issued by the executive magistrate in response to a petition that the attorney for the Nobel Prize-winning economist Sen filed, in which he expressed concern about a potential breach of law and order regarding the university's potential attempt to evict Sen from the disputed plot of land.

Sen's attorney pleaded with the office of the executive magistrate to retain the status quo over the entire land that is now in control of his client because he expressed concern that the eviction procedure would take place while the Nobel Laureate economist from Bolpur is away.

Accepting the reasoning, the executive magistrate has asked the official in charge of the neighbourhood Santiniketan Police Station to investigate the possibility of a peace breach relating the parcel of property.

The executive magistrate's ruling stated that the officer in charge of the Santiniketan Police station was further instructed to keep the area around the suit tract of land peaceful till the immediate case was resolved.

Just 13 decimal places of land are in question. It all began when Sen was accused of illegally occupying 1.38 acres of land, which is more than his permitted 1.25 acres, by Visva-Bharati University Vice-Chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty. The Nobel laureate, however, denied the claim, saying the initial 1.25 acres were a gift to his late grandpa, Late Kshitimohan Sen, who served as Visva-Bharati University's second vice-chancellor. Later, the 13 decimals of land at the focus of the argument were bought by Sen's late father, Late Asutosh Sen, who was also a professor at the same university.

Sen recently received leasehold rights to the full 1.38 acres of land from the West Bengal government, preventing any effort at eviction by the university administration.

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