The High Court today directed the authorities concerned to suspend Principal of Murari Chand College in Sylhet Prof Mohammad Saleh Ahmed and hostel superintendent Jiban Krishna Acharaya in seven days for their negligence and failure to save a woman from being gang-raped on the campus in September last year.

The court also asked the vice chancellor and registrar of National University to initiate departmental proceedings against Saleh Ahmed and Jiban Krishna in accordance with law.

The HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah came up with the directive while delivering verdict on a suo muto (voluntary) rule over the gang-rape on Murari Chand College campus in Sylhet on September 25, last year.

Following two separate reports published on The Daily Star on September 27 last year under the headlines "Rape in MC College: 6 accused BCL men moved with impunity" and "Unpublished crimes led to horror like this", the HC bench on September 29 issued the suo muto rule.

In the rule, the court asked the authorities concerned to show causes why they should not be directed to take appropriate legal steps against the principal and hostel superintendent of the MC College for their negligence and failure to save the woman from being raped.