Two persons were arrested on Saturday by the Nagamalai Pudukottai police here in connection with the alleged assault on A. Srinivasan, convener of Save Madurai Kamaraj University Coalition.
Mr. Srinivasan was assaulted by two unidentified men on Friday near his home at Nagamalai Pudukottai, a residential area close to the university. He sustained fractures in both arms.
The same day, a criminal case was registered against the MKU Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar (in charge) and five others under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 294 (b) (singing, reciting or uttering any obscene song, ballad or words in or near any public place) and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), read with 109 (punishment of abetment), of the Indian Penal Code, based on Mr. Srinivasan’s complaint.
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Mr. Srinivasan said in his complaint that Vice-Chancellor Kalyani Mathivanan, Registrar (in charge) A. Muthumanickam, Director of the Department of Youth Welfare P. Chelladurai, Public Relations Officer (in charge) Arivalagan and retired staff member S.V.K. Selvaraj had hired two goons to assault him.
The attackers used obscene language against him and warned not to act against the Vice-Chancellor.
The assault was instigated because he had submitted an appeal to the Governor for the removal of Dr. Mathivanan for providing “false” information to the search committee during the selection, he said. The police said the two persons arrested admitted to assaulting Mr. Srinivasan.
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Various associations, including the Madurai Kamaraj, Manonmaniam Sundaranar, Mother Teresa and Alagappa University Teachers’ Association and the Tamil Nadu Federation of Universities Faculty Associations condemned the assault.
Members of the Coalition submitted a petition to the Governor for immediate action against the Vice-Chancellor for “instigating such a brutal attack.”