Student groups demand action against SPPU staff for manhandling undergrad

PUNE Student unions and organisations in the city have demanded strict action against security staff of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) for allegedly manhandling a Bachelor of Science (BSc) student.

They have threatened to organise protests in case the administration fails to act promptly.

Aditya Tangade Patil, a final year Bachelor of Science (BSc) student from Abasaheb Garware College, has claimed that he was manhandled when he came to the examination department to check about the discrepancy in his results.

“I had appeared for exams through online mode and scored first class with distinction marks in all subjects except one in which I got zero marks. On November 18, I had complained about it officially to the SPPU’s examination department to get a revised mark sheet,” he said.

Since November 18 he was constantly taking follow-up about the issue, but on November 25 when he didn’t get much response from the examination department officials he went to meet Mahesh Kakade, director of the board of examination and evaluation. While talking to Kakade he started video shooting the conversation on the mobile phone, then Kakade stopped him and told security staff to take him out of the office. After which they allegedly manhandled him and took him out of the office premises.

“We met SPPU vice-chancellor and demanded strict action against those security guards and also Kakade who has threatened the student. We demand immediate action or will hold protests,” said Kalpesh Yadav, city president, Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena.

Somnath Lohar, member, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) students wing, said, “On Saturday, we protested outside the vice-chancellor’s office and demanded strict action against the people involved.”

Kakade said, “Video shooting inside the examination department is prohibited, so I told him to stop and asked our security guards to take him out of my office, but I don’t know about what happened later.”