Case against Pune varsity VC, four others under Atrocities Act

A case has been registered against the Vice-Chancellor of Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) and four others under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, police said Sunday.

According to police, based on a complaint filed by a student, a case was registered against vice-chancellor Dr Nitin Karmalkar, SPPU registrar Prafful Pawar, senate member Sanjay Chakane, security in-charge Suresh Bhosale and security personnel Bhursingh Rajput.

Police registered the case on Saturday after a court in Pune directed the police to conduct an inquiry under section 156 (3) of the CrPC.

The student, identified as Akash Bhosale, had approached the court last month after the police did not take cognisance of his complaint.

According to police, the student alleged that on April 1 this year, the SPPU officials had registered a case against him with Chatushringi police station under section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and other sections of the IPC after a ruckus at the university refectory.

He alleged that he was wrongly implicated in the case because he belonged to the SC category.

In the complaint, Bhosale claimed that he is a freelance journalist.

On April 1, some students were agitating outside the refectory after the university issued a circular, the complaint said.

He claimed that he had gone to cover it as a reporter and was falsely implicated in the case.

He said that he is pursuing M Phil and also did freelance reporting for a news channel and published reports of wrongdoings in the university, which is why the officials tried to destroy his educational career by registering a case just because he belonged to the SC category.