Sexual harassment: Students protest against lecturer; College defends accused

[email protected] (CD Network)
July 22, 2014

Mangalore, Jul 22: A group of students of St Raymond's College, Vamanjoor, on the outskirts of the city on Tuesday boycotted the classes and staged a protest against their Kannada lecturer Harish Acharya after one of the II PUC students accused him sexually harassing her. Several parents also took part in the protest.

Meanwhile, the management of the college has warned the students and defended the accused lecturer, whose misbehavior allegedly forced one of the female students to attempt suicide on Monday.

When the girl was rescued by her parents she revealed the horrible face of her Kannada lecturer, who allegedly used to send lewd messages and sexually harass her in the college.

According to the victim, she was made to stand in Harish's chamber when he misbehaved with her. He had been asking her to “adjust with him” for getting more marks and accused of threatening to give her fewer marks in the examinations if she refused his overtures.

Sources from Mangalore Rural Police Station, said that police launched a manhunt to nab Harish, who went absconding after he was booked under sections 354, 509, 116 read with 306 of the Indian Penal Code. Since the victim is a minor, police also slapped sections 11, 12, and 16 of the POCSO Act.

Principal of the college Sr Cecilia D'Souza, defending the accused said that Harish Acharya was working as a Kannada lecturer in the same college for more than a decade and not a single complaint was received against him so far.

Accusing the victim of taking revenge against a “strict” and “honest” lecturer, she said that the girl in question had committed several blunders in the past and her classmates too had complaint against her. However, she failed to reveal how the girl had troubled her classmates.

The principle went on to claim that if the girl was facing sexual harassment from anyone she could have brought to the notice of the college management.

“We came to know about such allegation only through the police. This is a baseless allegation,” she said, adding that the college would set up a probe the charges levelled against the lecturer.

Meanwhile, another group of students demonstrated in support of the accused lecturer and shouted slogans against the girl. They said that the girl was trying to tarnish the image of the lecturer through false allegations against him.

vamanjur protest 22 1

vamanjur protest 22 1

vamanjur protest 22 1

vamanjur protest 22 1

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April 12,2024

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Udupi, Apr 12: A family’s visit to a resort to enjoy Eid-ul-Fitr holidays turned tragic as a 10-year-old boy drowned in the swimming pool at Hengavalli in Kundapur taluk of Udupi district on Thursday. 

The deceased has been identified as Mohammed Azeez, a Class 4 student at Darussalam English Medium School in Hoode.

Azeez was, who had gone to the resort along with his parents, was playing in the pool when he lost balance and drowned. Even though he was rescued, he was in a critical condition and later breathed his last. 

The family members have accused the negligence of the resort management as the reason for Azeez's death. They said that the incident occurred due to the absence of safety equipment like life jackets and the lack of lifeguards near the swimming pool.

A case has been registered at Shankaranarayana police station and investigations are underway. 

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News Network
April 24,2024

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Bengaluru: Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Wednesday slammed Rahul Gandhi’s "wealth redistribution promise", stating that only someone with no practical knowledge can speak like that.

 “He is dreaming of a revolution. By talking about wealth redistribution, Rahul Gandhi has insulted and humiliated two Congress Prime Ministers who brought market reforms and increased the wealth of the nation,” he added, recalling the contribution of P V Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh in economic liberalisation.

Accusing Gandhi of indirectly trying to say that what the two Congress Prime Ministers did was wrong, Gowda said, "He (Rahul Gandhi) has torn up their economic reforms like he had torn up an ordinance (which sought to overturn the rule that disqualifies convicted MPs and MLAs) issued by (the then) Manmohan Singh (government)."

The 90-year-old JD(S) supremo ridiculed the Congress manifesto claiming that only a party that is sure of never coming to power can make as many promises.

“The Congress has promised so many things in its manifesto. The only party that is very sure of never coming to power will promise so much,” Gowda said at a press conference here.

He said the Congress wants to turn this country 'upside down' and the promises made by it indicated that it wants to come to power 'at any cost'.

“Rahul Gandhi wants to do a wealth survey and distribute the wealth. Does he think he is a mass leader,” Deve Gowda said.

Picking up points from the Congress manifesto ‘Nyay Patra’, Gowda said Rahul Gandhi wants to 'give 30 lakh new central government jobs and run this country'.

“There are only 40 lakh sanctioned jobs. How can he create 30 lakh more jobs overnight? How much will he pay these people? Where will he employ them,” he asked.

“Only someone with no practical knowledge can speak like this. (P) Chidambaram was the manifesto committee chairman. Does he agree with Rahul Gandhi’s immature economic ideas,” Gowda said.

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News Network
April 24,2024

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With the Karnataka transport department extending the deadline for the installation of High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) twice--- in November last year and February, it is no longer planning to extend the same. The department ordered for the installation of HSRP before May 31.

The transport department through a notification in August last year, had mandated the installation on all the vehicles that were registered in the state prior to April 1, 2019. According to transport officials, there are nearly two crore vehicles that are supposed to get HSRP for their vehicles.

“As of now, the state has registered only 34 lakh HSRP installations, despite extending the deadline twice. From nearly 18 lakh installations since February, the numbers have almost doubled. However, there are still a large number of vehicles that have to opt for HSRP,” said C Mallikarjuna, Additional Commissioner for Transport (Enforcement).

“We will wait till May 31 to check for the total number of vehicles that fall in line. We are expecting HSRP installations to touch 75 lakh, after which we will consider an extension as the numbers indicate that people are falling in line and if some more time is given everyone will get it done. However, if we do not reach that number before the deadline, we will request the government not to extend the deadline but urge for an enforcement,” he said.

He also stated that a fine of Rs 500 will be imposed for the first time and if vehicle owners do not fall in line, it will be Rs 1,000 later until they have installed HSRP. “We will wait till the Model Code of Conduct ends and take the government’s opinion. We are going to request the government for strict enforcement if the HSRP installations are not satisfactory,” he added.

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