Following protests by students of School of Drama and Fine Arts, Thrissur, the University of Calicut suspended a teacher S. Sunil Kumar, who is charged with the rape of a girl student.
Calicut University Vice Chancellor M.K. Jayaraj also sought explanation from his head of the department for the delay in taking action on her complaint. Sunil Kumar would be removed from the post of Dean, Faculty of Fine Arts. Mr. Kumar would not be allowed to enter the campus premises until further orders as it may put the aggrieved student under mental pressure, a release said.
Earlier, the Thrissur West police had filed an FIR against Sunil Kumar under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code on a complaint by a first year undergraduate student of the School of Drama that he had raped her.
According to the petition, Sunil Kumar raped her in January this year when she was staying at his house during the lockdown period.
Students of the School of Drama and Fine Arts have been staging protests since February 24 demanding his arrest. The students alleged that Sunil Kumar was trying to defame the survivor, saying that she was unstable.
Another complaint
The survivor had also filed a complaint against another teacher, Raja Warrier, a guest faculty, who allegedly hit her hard on the hand during a class. When the student raised objection, Raja Warrier allegedly told her that he was trying to teach her the sensation of touch. Raja Warrier would be blacklisted, as per the Vice Chancellor’s order.
