THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Peroorkada police registered a case against Ms Lekshmi Nair, principal of Kerala Law Academy Law College, on the basis of the complaint of a student of the college that she had made casteist remarks against him. The case was registered on Saturday under sections 3 (1) (i) of SC and ST (prevention of atrocities) Act 1989, for which bail could be obtained only from a magistrate. The complaint was filed by V.G. Vivek, fourth-semester B.Com-LLB student.
According to the FIR, Ms Lekshmi Nair made the remark against Vivek, who belonged to a backward community, due to the grudge over giving a news report regarding the non-payment of grants to the students of scheduled communities because of the college management’s lapses. The alleged incident took place on January 21, 2016. Vivek, who was standing along with four of his friends near the college office, was addressed by Ms Lekshmi Nair using his caste name.
She said that he was not the only student from the backward community studying in the college and that no other student had complaints over non-payment of grant. The incident had defamed him and caused mental agony to the complainant, said the FIR. Peroorkada sub-inspector Prem Kumar registered the FIR and the probe will be carried out under the supervision of assistant commissioner of police (Cantonment) Mr. K.E. Baiju. Earlier, there were allegations that the Peroorkada police were not acting on the petitions against the college. Even the Kerala State Human Rights Commission had initiated action on a set of complaints, including the casteist remarks.
