Murud tragedy: Kids dead, college principal humiliates traumatised parents
P A Inamdar, President of the society that runs the college reportedly threatened and shouted at the parents and later got them evicted.
Three days after the Murud tragedy, in which 14 students of a Pune college were washed into the sea while on a picnic at Murud Janjira beach in Maharashtra's Raigad district, mourning parents of the students were abused and forcefully evicted from the college campus because they complained of negligence on part of the institution.
The students, aged between 18 and 21 years, were part of a group of 126 who were on a picnic from the computer science section of the Abeda Inamdar Senior college, Pune.
President of the society that runs the college reportedly threatened and shouted at the parents and later got them evicted.
"We went to meet the president. When we were talking to him he told us to mind our tone. He also told us to get out of the room," said a victim's mother.
When India Today reporter confronted PA Inamdar over the issue, he remained defiant and refused to apologise for his shocking behaviour.
"Actually, parents are innocent. There are people who are pressuring them for certain demands. This is what it is. How can they talk at that particular time something in respect of money and something in respect of job and in respect of all these things," Inamdar said.
As outrage picked, the Maharashtra government intervened and promised to look into the matter.
Speaking on the issue, Maharashtra School Education Minister Vinod Tawde told India Today Television, "Management has to deal with the matter softly. And if they are not doing that, the Education Department has to look into the matter. I am surely looking into it."
When questioned, the college could have handled the situation in a better way, vice-principal Abeda Inamdar said the parents provoked the college chief despite our assurance that the institution will help the parents, students and teaching staff in every possible manner.
"The tragic incident happened on February 1, since we have done everything possible to help the parents, students and teaching staff. In the condolence meeting the parents provoked the college chief accompanied by some other people. We understand the feelings of the parents and we also understand their anguish. We will help them in every possible manner," Abeda said.
Shakeela Hussain, mother of one of the victims, said the college hasn't extended a helping hand to the mourning parents yet.
Pointing her fingers at the lackadaisical attitude of the college authority and teaching staff who accompanied the students to the beach, Shakeela said the teachers could have prohibited them from entering the sea.
"We went to the spot and collected the dead bodies of our kids ourselves. Nobody even informed us about the tragedy on phone, We came to know about the incident from the media," Shakeela said.
BJP leader Shaina NC described the incident as a "matter of empathy and emotion."
"Maharashtra government will take necessary steps. The education minister on your show has said so and the education department will question Inamdar College. It is the prerogative of the teachers, if they are going in large groups, to completely watch what could be in eventuality of an unfortunate situation like this. The villagers were saying it is high tide and dangerous but the teachers couldn't control the students," Shaina said.
ALSO READ:
Murud tragedy: Bombay HC pulls up govt for failing to secure beaches
14 Pune students drown in Murud beach tragedy