An attempt to commit suicide by a student led to protest and throwing of stones at a few rooms of Ramakrishna College here on Tuesday.
Students were enraged after 19-year-old Sloka Shetty allegedly consumed phenyl in the toilet around 2 p.m. While a few students took Ms. Shetty to a nearby nursing home, a few others reportedly assembled on the campus accusing college principal of harassing Ms. Shetty.
According to the police, students threw stones on a few rooms on the ground, first, and second floor of the college. The students protested for about an hour and left the campus.
The genesis to the incident was the boycott of classes by the second year B.Com students on August 29 morning following denial of permission to practise for inter-departmental talent competition that was scheduled on August 30. The students accused Principal Naveen K. Shetty of harassing Ms. Sloka for prompting students to boycott the classes.
Seventy nine students were asked to pay Rs. 100 as fine for boycotting the class which they did.
But Ms. Sloka, who stays in college's hostel in Lalbagh, and another boy were asked to bring her parents. She reportedly pleaded with the Principal not to insist on bringing the parents. When this was not granted, she allegedly consumed phenyl, the students said.
The Principal told The Hindu that the students were blowing the incident out of proportion. He said Ms. Sloka and another student were found to have prompted all students to boycott classes on August 29. “Yes they had paid the fine. But I wanted to meet parents of the two students. On Tuesday, I just asked her to bring her parents without fail,” he said.
