‘Punish him so other girls don’t suffer’: National Sanskrit University student in ICC complaint against professor

Police said Kumar’s office was one of the locations of the alleged assault. According to the police investigation, while Kumar allegedly sexually assaulted the survivor, Reddy filmed the act. The latter also allegedly used these photos and videos to blackmail and physically harass her. They both allegedly threatened to put the videos online if she complained against them, police said.

A faculty member, who knows the woman well, said she had allegedly been sexually assaulted multiple times and that she was facing “severe mental trauma”.

“Laxman first sexually assaulted the survivor a few months ago and allegedly recorded a video, which he had been using to blackmail her and sexually assault her further. This had been going on for months. When the woman reported the matter to her parents, they forced her to discontinue the course. But before she left the university, she gave a written complaint to the ICC so that others do not face the same plight as her,” the faculty member said.

The complaint reads, “This situation has caused me severe mental stress and fear, and I request you to kindly take immediate action in this matter. I request guidance in the next steps to ensure my safety.”

The ICC, which met from December 1 to 5, first confiscated the phones of both the accused. It then wrote to the univesity’s Registrar, saying, “The ICC felt that there is a prima facie case, and the confiscated phones of Dr Laxman Kumar and Dr A Sekhar Reddy must be examined by authorised technical/cyber/forensic investigating agency to retrieve any video… and then the final conclusion of the case must be drawn.”

University authorities then approached the Tirupati West police on December 6 with a complaint.

Inspector V Murali Mohan of the Tirupati West police station said Laxman Kumar allegedly befriended the woman before sexually assaulting her. “She kept to herself mostly in the last five-six months. None of her classmates knew about this until she filed the complaint. She did not discuss the incident with anyone and left the university campus, fearing for her safety after filing the complaint,” the inspector said.

He also said rumours that the survivor was pregnant were false.

The university has suspended the accused assistant professors. Sources said the institution is also investigating whether the accused have targeted other students in the past.

Professor Rajanikant Shukla of NSU told The Indian Express that Kumar and Reddy had joined as assistant professors in 2019. “We have not had any complaints against either of them previously. There had also been no reason to be suspicious of their activities,” he said.

Political storm

The case has become a political flashpoint in Andhra Pradesh, with the YSRCP targeting the ruling TDP and accusing authorities of trying to “hush up” the matter.

Tirupati MP Maddila Gurumoorthy of the YSRCP issued a notice to move an adjournment motion in Lok Sabha over the case. The notice was rejected. Gurumoorthy has also written letters to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the National Commission for Women, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, and the National Human Rights Commission regarding the case.

Gurumoorthy said the “student had submitted written complaints to the university authorities weeks ago, and it was hushed up”.

TDP leader and state Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha said the government has already instituted a probe into the case. “No one will be spared. The Superintendent of Police is directly handling the probe,” Anitha said.

Asked whether there was any delay in the university taking up the case, a faculty member answered in the negative. “The moment the complaint was lodged, we did everything in our power to ensure the safety of the survivor,” the faculty member said.

The survivor has, meanwhile, moved back home. “We had asked her not to discontinue her studies. We are still in touch with her to bring her back to the campus,” the faculty member said.