Two NSU Professors Held in Sexual Abuse Case

Tirupati: Tirupati west division police on Tuesday arrested two assistant professors of National Sanskrit University (NSU) in connection with the sexual abuse complaint lodged by a 27-year-old B.Ed student from Odisha.

Acting on the instructions of superintendent of police L. Subba Rayudu, the police had registered a case last week against assistant professor Dr Lakshman Kumar. The complaint was filed by the NSU registrar after the matter was escalated through internal channels.

Police inquiries revealed that the survivor joined NSU on June 25. Investigators said that the accused, who teaches in the department of education, allegedly summoned her to his office and sexually assaulted her. A faculty member in the same department, assistant professor Dr A. Shekhar Reddy, reportedly filmed the assault.

According to the police, the visuals were later used to threaten the student, and she faced continued harassment in the following days. Unable to cope with the pressure, she approached the anti-sexual harassment committee and the hostel warden on November 24. The university constituted its internal complaints committee on December 1 and conducted an inquiry before forwarding the case to the police on December 6.

By then, the student had left for her hometown. SP Rayudu directed West CI V. Murali Mohan Rao to visit Odisha to record her statement. After the CI returned with her deposition, the police added Sections 63 and 68 of the BNS, relating to rape and abuse of authority. Following the completion of preliminary investigation, the police arrested the accused on Tuesday evening.