Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), December 9, (PTI) The Andhra Pradesh police on Tuesday arrested two assistant professors of Tirupati National Sanskrit University for allegedly sexually assaulting a female student from Odisha, an official said.
The victim, a 27-year-old B.Ed first year student, had joined the university in June.
“Two assistant professors of Tirupati National Sanskrit University have been arrested by Andhra Pradesh police for allegedly sexually assaulting a female student from Odisha,” Tirupati East DSP M Bhaktavatsalam told PTI.
Assistant professor Lakshman Kumar allegedly lured her and forcibly sexually assaulted her in his office, police said.
Another professor, A Shekhar Reddy, allegedly shot photographs and videos to harass and blackmail the student. He allegedly threatened to circulate these pictures and videos on social media.
Following a complaint from the University management, Tirupati Police registered a case under BNS section 75(1), 77, 79, 351(2) read/with 3(5) BNS Act, and others.
According to police, the student had logged a complaint on November 24 to the university management that a video of hers was going viral and accused Kumar of possessing and using it to threaten her.
“The student said that Kumar was using her private videos to intimidate and blackmail her,” said the DSP.
Bhaktavatsalam added that the student seemed upset after her November 21 exams, prompting her hostel warden, who is also from Odisha, to enquire, during which the matter came to light.
Meanwhile, the University’s vice-chancellor GSN Krishna Murthy said that the varsity has constituted a four-member counselling committee to look into the issue and interact with both parties.
According to the committee, both the student and Kumar appeared to have been in a physical relationship, though this is yet to be confirmed by the student, police said.
“The student, who hails from Odisha, joined the university in June and had been learning the language with Kumar’s assistance as part of her coursework,” Murthy told PTI. PTI MS STH SA
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