Mumbai prof arrested for making ‘casteist remarks’ on colleague

Jayshree Venkatachallam, an associate professor of Sree Narayana Guru College of Commerce at Chembur, was arrested by the Deonar police on Wednesday after a fellow professor filed an FIR against her and eight others from the college management under the Atrocities Act,1989. The professor, Anant Kadam, has alleged that these officials often made 'casteist remarks' against him.

A probe has, however, revealed the role of only three persons so far, said police officers investigating the case.

Kadam claimed that students were allegedly forced to enroll for additional courses in English speaking, computer and taxation etc.

"These courses are not compulsory. However, students were forced to enrol. It was me who encouraged the students to oppose this, following which students approached Mumbai University's students' grievance cell. This is why the principal and other management staff were targeting me. They often made casteist remarks against me in meetings and said things like 'you people from backward class will never grow up in life and never improve'," said Kadam.

"On April 30, I was suspended for the same and they did not even issue a show cause notice before suspending me. This is the same college which preaches 'One Caste, One Religion, One God for man,' and this is how they treat their employees," the professor said.

Kadam, who has been teaching in the college for the past 10 years, had approached the police on May 24. He wrote a complaint letter to the Deonar police, the Governor, the Chief Minister and the state's Home and Education ministers. However, an FIR was registered by the Deonar police only on September 18, following which a probe was initiated.

"We had received the complaint in the month of May and an FIR was registered in September. Following this, we conducted an investigation which showed that there was weight to the complaint by Kadam. On Wednesday, we arrested Jayshree and two others are under the scanner for their alleged role in the crime. Jayshree was produced in the court on Wednesday and granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 20,000," said senior inspector Prahlad Panaskar of Deonar police station.

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