VJIT Officials Accuse JNTU V-C Of Making Derogatory Remarks

The principal and the CSE head of Vidya Jyothi Institute of Technology (VJIT) have accused JNTUH Vice Chancellor Prof. T. Kishen Kumar Reddy of making derogatory, gender-discriminatory and threatening remarks during a meeting on October 6, in a complaint filed with the Kukatpally police.

VJIT Principal Dr A Srujana and CSE head Dr D. Aruna Kumari said they had met the Vice Chancellor after taking his appointment to invite him as chief guest for the AWS Student Community Day Hyderabad, scheduled at VJIT on October 30.

According to their complaint, the Vice Chancellor allegedly became aggressive during the interaction, refused their invitation and allegedly told them they were merely “servants of the institution” who did not deserve ordinary courtesies.

The complainants alleged that he referred to his earlier tenure as principal of the institution and said he had wanted to remove all women employees. He allegedly said women were “fit for nothing”, did not belong in academic or professional fields and should remain at home, have children and look after them.

The college officials also alleged that he tore their invitation ar and threw it into a dustbin before reportedly telling them, according to the complaint: “You are merely servants of the institution and you are far worse than the trash lying in this dustbin.”

The complaint alleged that when they tried to respond, he raised his hand as if to hit them and warned them that if they spoke again, he would hit them so that they would not be able to walk.

The complainants alleged that he made derogatory remarks about a woman CEO of a private university. They also alleged that he made poor remarks about the VJIT secretary claiming he had intentionally reduced the college fee and said he would not visit the college until his retirement.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, KPHB station house officer G. Vijay Kumar said a petition had been registered and the police were conducting a preliminary inquiry. He said police were seeking CCTV footage showing the entry and exit points of the university as part of the inquiry. Asked whether the police had spoken to the Vice Chancellor, Kumar said Prof. Kishen Kumar Reddy was out of station and would be questioned once he returned.

The SHO said action, including the registration of a formal case, would be taken based on the preliminary inquiry and after establishing the nature and genuineness of the complaint.

While the Vice Chancellor did not responded to calls from this reporter, the university put out a formal press statement to deny the allegations against Prof. Kishen Kumar Reddy and described them as “baseless, frivolous and unsupported”.

In the statement, JNTU said the allegations appeared to have been made with an “ulterior motive” to harm the reputation of the university and the Vice Chancellor. The university maintained that the Vice Chancellor “routinely engages with faculty, students and other stakeholders with professionalism and dignity.”

It also cited women’s representation in leadership positions, saying the Vice Chancellor had appointed the university’s first woman registrar in June. It said “women faculty members also serve as directors of constituent units, heads of departments at constituent colleges and chairs of Boards of Studies.”