Ajmer Police on Friday registered an FIR against the vice-chancellor and four professors of Central University of Rajasthan (CURAJ) for allegedly harassing a Dalit research scholar.
A local court in Ajmer on Monday had ordered the police to register a case under the SC/ST act against the faculty members of the university over Umesh Kishor Jonwal’s allegations. Police have also launched a probe into his charges.
The university had expelled Jonwal, a scholar in the social work department of CURAJ and a recipient of the junior research fellowship, in October stating that he remained absent from the university for more than 15 days in May last year.
Jonwal appealed to the university against his expulsion and later initiated a legal process and accused seven professors of harassing him and demanding money from him.
Center for Dalit Rights (CDR) announced its support for Jonwal and demanded that those guilty of harassing him should be dealt with severely.
“It is very disappointing to learn that a partisan behaviour still exists against Dalits,” Ramesh Chand Bansal, coordinator CDR Ajmer, said.
Sources said that the Union ministry of human resources development has also asked about the details in the case. “The university has made an in-house inquiry in this matter and preparing a report to file in the ministry,” they said.
Jonwal’s case comes at a time when the suicide of another Dalit student, Rohith Vemula, at the University of Hyderabad is making headline across the country.
{{/usCountry}}Jonwal’s case comes at a time when the suicide of another Dalit student, Rohith Vemula, at the University of Hyderabad is making headline across the country.
{{/usCountry}}Vemula had committed suicide at a hostel room on Sunday after he and four other students were suspended by university officials for allegedly assaulting a leader of the right-wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Opposition parties have accused Union ministers Smriti Irani and Bandaru Dattatreya of abetting the suicide.
Police have named Dattatreya, vice-chancellor Appa Rao, Telangana BJP MLC Ramachandra Rao and two students in the FIR.