Six protesting students of the University of Madras, including a woman who complained of sexual harassment against a professor in the Department of Archaeology, and around 25 activists who came in support of the protesting students were taken into preventive custody by the police on Monday.
For the last five days, a group of students from the Archaeology Department had been protesting against the head of the department for manhandling them as well as behaving inappropriately with a woman student in the midst of an argument.
A group of students of the second year in the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology has complained to the University Grants Commission against the head of the department.
On Monday morning, six persons, including the woman student, were arrested when they continued the protest.
As soon as the news of the arrest of the protesting students spread, members of the Students Federation of India (SFI) and the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), led by SFI district secretary L. Vignesh, gathered on Wallajah Road and attempted to protest in support of the students. The police took 25 of them into custody and detained them in a wedding hall.
‘Activists harassed’
G. Selva, Central Chennai district secretary of the CPI(M), said the women activists were physically harassed and intimidated while being taken into custody. The injured activists were denied medical treatment. He said the police indulged in excesses on the students and the activists when they were protesting peacefully.
He demanded that the Joint Commissioner of Police, East, conduct an inquiry and initiate action against the erring police officers.
