Hadiya returns to college in Salem

Post-SC order, the Kerala woman was taken to a hostel at Suramangalam amid tight security

Free at last: Hadiya being escorted by police at the Coimbatore airport on Tuesday.

A day after the Supreme Court freed her from the custody of her father to pursue her studies , Hadiya alias Akhila of Kerala, was brought to the Sivaraj Homoepathic Medical College and Research Institute in Sivadapuram, about 10 km from Salem, from New Delhi amid tight police security. On reaching the college campus, which was completely cordoned off by police and kept out of bounds for the public, she entered Principal G. Kannan’s room at around 7 pm.

During her 40-minute stay inside the Principal’s room, the Kerala police who escorted her from New Delhi gave a letter formally declaring the handing over of the student back to the college as per the Supreme Court order. An acknowledgement for the same was issued by Mr. Kannan. Media personnel were allowed entry into the college only after frisking. She was then taken amid tight security to the hostel run by the college at Suramangalam, about 10 km from the college campus.

Mr. Kannan said the college will write to the Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University – the affiliating body for the college — seeking permission for re-admitting her and permitting her to do her one year internship. The letter to the University will be sent on Wednesday itself, the Principal told media persons.

Ms. Hadiya joined the five-and-a half-year BHMS course way back in 2010. She had already completed the four-and-a-half-year course and had to undertake the internship programme for one year. With this the prospects of her continuing and completing her Bachelor of Homoepathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) under-graduate degree programme were bright, said college sources. As per rules, the student has to apply through the Principal to the Vice-Chancellor of the Dr. M.G.R. Medical University for ‘condonation of the break of studies period’ and seek permission for resuming the studies, the sources said. A PTI report, quoting the college principal, said Ms. Hadiya will continue her studies under her previous Hindu name, Akhila.

Slogans raised

The college will allow her to continue the internship programme and complete the BHMS course, if the University authorities agree to condone her break, the sources said. Mr. Kannan said that Ms. Hadiya will stay along with 114 other inmates in the hostel ensuring a normal life. He also said that nobody will be allowed to speak to her without the Principal’s permission.A group of students led by activist M. Valarmathi of Periyar University made an attempt to speak to Ms. Hadiya but in vain. They held placards and raised slogans such as, “Free Hadiya, Stand in solidarity with Hadiya, stand up against judicial terrorism, Hindu Fascism, Patriarchal fascism.”

Earlier Ms. Hadiya arrived at the Coimbatore airport around 4.15 p.m. and left for Salem by road a few minutes thereafter.

( With inputs from Karthik Madhavan in Coimbatore )