Hyderabad: The 11 arrested students from the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) in Hyderabad denounced the FIR filed against them by the Telangana police following a complaint from Proctor T Samson.
“The FIR is rife with lies; for example, it states that the student community resorted to ‘acts of violence’, that there was ‘some premeditated plan to harm [the Proctor]’, and that ‘there is an orchestrated plan to bring disrepute to the University’,” the statement released by EFLU students accused in the FIR read.
The students collectively demanded a thorough investigation into the sexual harassment case and the withdrawal of the FIR against them, stating that the protest was completely peaceful, with no intent to cause any harm (physical, psychological, or otherwise) to anyone.
The students called out the administration for its negligent handling of the sexual assault case. They highlighted the insensitivity of the Health Centre officials and the belittling remarks of Proctor Samson, who reportedly said that the sexual assault was a ‘small issue’.
“Proctor T Samson asked the student community not to make a big deal of such a “small issue”, thereby belittling the impact of sexual assault on a student,” they said.
According to the students, the demand for the survivor’s identity by Registrar Prof. K. Narasimha Rao infringes on the survivor’s right to anonymity.
“It is evident that the EFLU administration seeks to suppress the student-led protest in response to the sexual assault incident that happened on the campus on the night of October 18th. The Telangana police have registered cases under IPC sections 153, 143, 153a, r/w 149, naming 11 individual students as accused, and they have referred to “others” as the 12th accused,” it further read.
Describing the timeline in detail, students pointed out that they protested on the morning of the incident, October 19, in front of Proctor T. Samson’s house which began at 5:00 am. “The gathering in front of the Proctor’s house was not for this reason AT ALL. This is a blatant lie. The students were there to protest the inaction of the EFLU administration on the issue of sexual assault of a student,” students said.
RS MPs write to UGC, NCW over EFLU sexual harassment
Three Kerala MPs responded to the alleged sexual assault of a student at English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) in Hyderabad and wrote letters to the Centre, Union Grants Commission (UGC), and the National Commission for Women (NCW) expressing grave concern over the administration’s response to the development.
They also raised questions over the filing of cases against 11 protesting students. The MPs have requested that the situation be thoroughly investigated and that the prosecution against the students be dropped.
In a letter addressed to Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Rajya Sabha MP E T Mohammed Basheer asked for a comprehensive investigation into the alleged sexual assault of the student and to address the concerns of the protesting students.
