A day after a faculty member in the Physical Education Department of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) was allegedly attacked by Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) president Satender Awana, a first information report was filed based on the professor’s complaint on Tuesday.
Police pressured
According to the college teachers, the FIR was filed only after they mounted pressure on the police.
“Even after promising a prompt FIR, it was not recorded on June 13. Instead, the teachers were dissuaded from pursuing the complaint. It was only after more than 70 teachers marched to the Maurice Nagar police station and a delegation met the DCP on June 14 [Tuesday], that it was finally recorded,” the statement from the staff association added.
Even as the college staff association condemned the attack and taken it up with the Vice-Chancellor, the college principal assured of prompt representation to the V-C, Proctor and the Advisor to DUSU for action. The college has taken also legal advice on the matter and sent a copy of its complaint to the Commissioner of Police.
Vineet Mehta was allegedly punched and beaten up inside the college’s sports complex on Monday. According to the staff association, Mr. Awana was insisting that seven unknown persons, who are not part of the college, be allowed to use the swimming pool. When Mr. Mehta opposed it, Mr. Awana allegedly beat him up and the others smashed a frame on his head.
Attack condemned
“The staff association of SRCC expresses its shock and condemns in the strongest term the violent attack on our colleague by the DUSU president and other goons accompanying him, on the afternoon of June 13 [Monday]. Mr. Mehta was attacked inside his office in the college’s sports complex,” a statement from the staff association read.
Talking about the incident, Mr. Mehta said: “Mr. Awana came to the principal’s office and was pressurising the college to allow six-seven unknown persons to use the swimming pool free of cost. The college policy prohibits anyone from using the pool free of cost, even its staff members and students. After expressing his inability to allow this, the principal requested him to find out if slots were available from the pool committee in-charge and the faculty in the Physical Education Department.”
“Abusive”
“After this, he walked into the office of the sports complex, where I was working. After entering the office, he started talking in abusive language and demanding the mobile number of the pool in-charge. I requested him to get the number from the college office as I was apprehensive of the group’s abusive behaviour towards women. On hearing this, Mr. Awana got furious and started shouting the filthiest of abuses and punched me in the face. He provoked the others to assault me as well,” Mr. Mehta added.
However, the DUSU leader alleged that he too was roughed up by Mr. Mehta. “I requested him to give me the phone number of the poll in-charge, but he refused to do so and started abusing us,” said Mr. Awana.
