Students go on rampage at Pondicherry University, target teachers, protesters

Some students on Tuesday went on rampage in Pondicherry University ransacking several offices and departments, as well as attacking teachers and students. The victims also alleged harassment and police inaction.

According to Indian Express, the mob launched an attack on teachers and students including women who led the successful protest against former V-C Chandra Krishnamurthy, who was asked to go on leave by the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) last week following a three-week long protest.

The newspaper said that the police took a very long time to arrive at the scene. One of the female students who tried to protect a lady faculty was also manhandled and harassed by a group of men.Vehicles of some faculty members were also stoned. Laptops, air conditioners and furniture in some departments were also damaged.

Express claimed that all ladies hostel rooms in the campus were also locked from inside after protesting female students were targeted by the mob.

Following protests by a section of students, the incumbent VC Chandra Krishnamoorthy was asked to go on leave on August 14 in response to a directive from the HRD Ministry.

But PTI reports suggested that students had gone on rampage protesting the failure of the university to take action against those who had gheraoed Registrar in Charge S Panneerselvam on Monday, officials said.

Panneerselvam was gheraoed on Monday for nearly six hours by a group of persons who demanded his resignation questioning him for his fixing a Dean as acting Vice-Chancellor when there were several senior incumbents.

The Registrar in-charge was admitted to a private hospital here last night following chest pain he suffered allegedly during a gherao.

Panneerselvam told PTI that he had filed a complaint with police identifying ten persons who had prevented him from discharging his duty on Monday and gheraoed him for nearly six hours.

He said he fainted and developed chest pain as he was gheraoed for hours together. He claimed he had been getting SMSes from a number of persons asking him to quit the post of Registrar even when he was in hospital.
Hospital sources said he had to remain in hospital for three more days.

Panneerselvam said around 200 persons surrounded him demanding his resignation from the post of Registrar. The protesters questioned his fixing the Dean of School Education as acting vice chancellor as there were several senior incumbents, he said.

Following the protest, he said, the decision was amended and Professor Anisha Basheer Ahmad Khan was appointed as acting VC and she was directed to take charge at 6 PM yesterday.

Panneerselvam, who is Dean of Department of Humanities, was assigned the post of Registrar in-charge some three years ago. He said, he has been keeping the HRD Ministry apprised of the current developments.

Police said cases had been registered against ten persons under various sections of IPC including those relating to wrongful assembly and wrongful confinement.