Manraj Kaur Dhaliwal, an intern who has been demanding an inquiry into the issue of non-payment of stipend to interns among other irregularities, levelled some fresh allegations against the college on Friday. She said a few teachers had been taking undue advantage of their position when it came to awarding marks in the internal assessment and were exploiting girl students.

The college authorities, however, denied the allegations, terming them “baseless” and “frivolous”. Principal Dr D S Kalsi said the student was not regular to the college and therefore teachers had some issues with her, adding that this was the reason why she was taking up cudgels against the college.

“The charges are totally baseless and she has been trying to fulfil her political motives by levelling such false allegations,” he said, referring to Manraj’s association with the Students Organisation of India. “Where is the proof?” Kalsi asked.

At a press conference on Friday, Manraj cited an incident of June 2008 when a teacher had allegedly asked her to meet him alone in his room. “Back then, the rooms of the heads of the departments had tinted glasses. After my complaint, which I had sent to Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, the glasses were changed. At least, they are transparent now,” she said.

She added that while one of the teachers whom she had named in the complaint had later left the college, the other still continued.

She also alleged the college was taking various grants and donations from abroad, projecting it as a charity institution, but failed to provide information on its revenue records. “We have come to know the college has shown in the balance sheets that it has been giving dental kits worth Rs 2 lakh to each intern. The funds actually went to the trustees’ personal accounts,” she alleged. These charges, too, were denied by the college.

A few other students present at the press conference said girls were asked to come to the college with clean and waxed arms, while the married ones were not allowed to wear ‘choora’. They also alleged that girls were not allowed to wear jeans. The principal denied the first charge, but admitted to the second one, saying girls were not allowed to wear jeans “for their own welfare”.

Various other personalities and organisations have, meanwhile, extended support to Manraj. They include Sudesh Ahlawat, former principal of BBK DAV College for Girls, Amritsar, H S Sandhu, Baba Ishar Singh (Nanaksar) Education Trust, Bhupinder Singh Bedi, vice president of Customs and Central Excise Gazetted Officers Association and Brigadier J S Sarai of All India Ex-Servicemen Movement among others.

While Ahlawat termed it as an unfortunate revelation in an education institute, Brig Sarai demanded an inquiry into the alleged exploitation of girl students.

On April 10, when the college held its first convocation ceremony, Manraj and other interns had protested before the alumni and the current students, bringing to fore the issue pertaining to the non-payment of stipend to interns.

Manraj had also alleged the college was fleecing the students by imposing various charges on them and issuing no receipt. She sought a meeting with BFUHS Vice-Chancellor Dr S S Gill, who was the chief guest on the occasion. Her father later met him, apprising him of the situation.