Political pressure is mounting over a shocking case of alleged sexual abuse and blackmail at the prestigious National Sanskrit University in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and the Indian National Congress have announced they will move separate adjournment motions in the Lok Sabha on Monday, demanding accountability and justice for a 22-year-old female student from Odisha.
Details of the Alleged Harassment and Police Case
Based on a complaint from the university's in-charge registrar, Professor Rajanikant Shukla, the Tirupati West police registered a case on Saturday. The accused, assistant professor Dr. Lakshman Kumar, faces serious charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act. These include Section 75(1) for sexual harassment, Section 77 for voyeurism, Section 79 for insulting the modesty of a woman, and Section 351(2) read with 3(5).
The victim, whose identity is protected, submitted a detailed written complaint to the university's anti-sexual harassment committee and her warden on November 24. A copy of this complaint is with The Times of India. In it, she explicitly states that Dr. Kumar blackmailed and sexually harassed her, claiming he was in possession of intimate videos.
Devastated, the victim's parents decided to withdraw her from the university. In her plea to the committee, she urged them to punish the assistant professor severely to prevent other female students from suffering a similar fate. She also provided the committee with snapshots of WhatsApp conversations between her and Dr. Kumar as evidence.
University's Delayed Response and Internal Probe
The police investigation is also scrutinizing a potential cover-up by the NSU management. Authorities are probing why there was a 12-day delay in filing a formal police complaint after the victim's initial written submission on November 24.
Only after the victim applied for a transfer certificate and returned to her native place in Odisha did the university constitute a four-member internal committee. This committee preliminarily concluded that the matter required police intervention for a thorough investigation.
During its internal probe, the committee confiscated the mobile phones of Dr. Lakshman Kumar and another assistant professor, A. Sekhar Reddy. Reddy is also accused of attempting to blackmail and trap the same victim.
Political Outcry and Demands for Justice
The case has triggered nationwide outrage and swift political reactions. Tirupati YSRCP MP Dr. M. Gurumoorthy and Koraput INC MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka confirmed their plans to raise the issue in Parliament.
"What has happened at the NSU in the holy city of Tirupati is unpardonable, and the accused professors should be severely punished," the MPs stated. They have also escalated the matter to the National Commission for Women and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, urging a detailed investigation.
MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka expressed deep anguish over the harassment of the young woman from Odisha. "We will carry out protests across the state of Odisha, demanding justice for the victim. The issue will also be taken up for discussion in the Odisha Assembly," he told TOI.
Adding her voice, Dr. Kadiyam Kavya, a member of the parliamentary committee on women's empowerment, questioned the safety of women in educational institutions. "How will parents send their female children to pursue their education outside when such shameless incidents unfold at a noble institution like the National Sanskrit University in a sacred city like Tirupati?" she asked. She emphasized that the victim came from an economically underprivileged background and her dreams were shattered. "We will not relent until the guilty professors involved in the case are punished severely," she asserted.
