NSU Sexual Abuse Case: MPs to Move Adjournment Motions in Parliament
The case involves a 22-year-old B.Ed student from Odisha who has accused assistant professor in the education department, Laxman Kumar, of sexually exploiting her.
Tirupati: A sexual abuse case at the National Sanskrit University (NSU) in Tirupati has drawn immense political attention, with the Congress party and the YSR Congress planning to move separate adjournment motions in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
The case involves a 22-year-old B.Ed student from Odisha who has accused assistant professor in the education department, Laxman Kumar, of sexually exploiting her. She also alleged that another assistant professor was blackmailing her and attempting rape on her.
In her written complaint, the student complained that she was subjected to continuous sexual and mental harassment.
She submitted the complaint on November 24 to NSU’s anti-sexual harassment committee and the hostel warden. She shared screenshots of WhatsApp conversations as evidence. She said her parents got to know of her predicament and sought discontinuation of her studies.
The student appealed to the committee to take strict action against the two faculty members and returned to her native place after seeking a Transfer Certificate.
The university constituted a four-member internal committee to hold an inquiry. It recommended that the complaint be reported to the police for an investigation. The committee confiscated the mobile phones of both assistant professors.
Based on a complaint lodged by NSU In-charge and registrar Rajanikant Shukla, the Tirupati West police registered a criminal case against Laxman Kumar under Sections 75(1), 77, 79 and 351(2) read with 3(5) of the BNS. This was done on Dec 6, nearly 12 days after the student made the complaint to the university. This delay is also under investigation.
On the directions of SP, Subba Rayudu, a police team led by Tirupati East DSP Bhaktavatsalam visited the NSU campus and began the probe. Efforts were on to bring the student from Odisha to Tirupati to record her statement.
Politicians swiftly stepped into the scene. Tirupati MP, M Gurumurthy, wrote to Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the national commission for Scheduled Castes, the national human rights commission and the national commission for Women, seeking their “urgent” intervention. He claimed the student faced severe mental trauma.
Koraput MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka said he would raise the matter in parliament seeking justice for the victim, who belonged to his constituency. The issue would also be taken up in the Odisha assembly and protests would be held across Odisha, seeking justice for the victim.
