Ghaziabad: Pvt college chairman booked for using ‘casteist slurs’ against student; he denies claim

While the student has not been identified yet, police said he is a Bareilly resident and is pursuing B.Ed from Gyanasthali College.

In the purported conversation, the chairman can be heard telling the student that he will not get his B.Ed degree. He also threatened to “fail every SC student” and the college will now write that admission of this caste will be prohibited. Asking the student why he doesn’t pay fees, the chairman allegedly threatened to “lock him up in Bhojpur police station”. He also allegedly said that people of his caste were painting walls and he should too.

The chairman, Hariom Sharma, denied the allegations and claimed it was a conspiracy against him.

Zilla panchayat member Anil Gautam alleged that the chairman abused not only a single student but the entire Dalit community. “We are demanding that the college’s affiliation be cancelled soon. Our demand to the Uttar Pradesh CM is that if the chairman of an institute named ‘Gyanasthali’ can talk in such a manner against the Dalit community, it is a clear sign that there is something seriously wrong with our society and casteism persists,” said Gautam.

Another complainant, Mohit Jaatav, also said Hariom Sharma has humiliated the entire SC community and action should be taken against him. “… While talking to the student, Sharma said just like… dogs are not allowed, he will put up a board at the college gate to bar entry of SC students… The affiliation of such a college must be cancelled. He does not know what ‘gyan’ means, else he would not have used such language,” alleged Jaatav.

ACP Modinagar Gyan Prakash Rai said an FIR under BNS section 352, section 67 of Information Technology (Amendment) Act 2008, and Section 3(2)(v) of The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, has been registered.

“We have not contacted the student yet. The accused, Hariom Sharma, has also not been questioned. We received a complaint that a person from the Scheduled Caste was abused on the phone… and that he was insulted with caste-related words. Based on the information received, a case has been registered at Bhojpur police station under relevant sections. Necessary legal action is being taken,” said Rai.

When contacted, Sharma told The Indian Express, “Mei Brahman hoon, shastra aur shastra jaanata hoon (I am a Brahmin, I know scriptures and weapons)… But I did not say any of it. This is a conspiracy against me. I do not have any problem, let the police investigate the matter. Fake videos of even Rahul Gandhi go viral, is it not possible to fabricate my voice? I am not going anywhere, I will support the investigation. I do not understand what I should call this SC community or how I should refer to them, they have a problem with every word. I have been receiving threats but I do not fear death.”