Andhra Pradesh: Lab Assistant Arrested for Filming Obscene Videos, Sexually Harassing 55 Female Students

Andhra Pradesh: On Friday, the college management suspended four of its employees who work in the paramedical wing of the Rangaraya Medical College (RMC) in Kakinada district in Andhra Pradesh based on the basis of sexual harassment allegations brought against 55 female undergraduates in the medical laboratory technology branch, according to a statement issued by the office of the chief minister of the state.

The suspended members of staff are: lab attendant V Kalyan Chakravarthy, lab technician S Gopala Krishna of biochemistry department, lab technician B Jimmy Raju of microbiology department and lab technician KVVS Prasada Rao of pathology department.

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RMC principal and the other director of medical education A Vishnu Vardhan confirmed that they have been suspended as it was ordered against them on the basis of the report of the internal inquiry committee that had conducted the inquiry into complaints against them on July 9. The college management has also filed a complaint with the Kakinada police straight away, Vardhan said in the wake of the committee report.

Kakinada superintendent of police G Bindu Madhav informed the reporters that three of the employees had been arrested and questioned, whereas Kalyan Chakravarthi was missing. “Investigation is going on,” he said.

N Chandrababu Naidu, chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, having known about the incident on Friday, contacted the college authorities and asked them to take people to task against the accused, said CMO statement. In his guidance, the medical and health department officials prepared a report and sent the same to the chief minister, it added.

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Going by the preliminary report submitted to the chief minister some of the female students had complained with the college principal on July 9 against Kalyan Chakravarthy that he was sexually harassing them. Worrying about the issue, the authorities summoned an investigation committee the morning of the same day to inquire into the accusations.

The investigation was carried out by the committee and they interviewed the students up to the Thursday night and presented the report. It was found out during the investigation that, besides Chakravarthy, there were other three people as well who tortured the female students.

“Based on the committee’s findings, the chief minister ordered strict action against the accused staff members involved in the harassment,” the CMO statement said.

Vishnu Vardhan said before reporters that even up to 55 students of the BSc course of the medical laboratory technology division had signed in and testified before the inquiry committee that they had been subjected to sexual harassment by the four accused in the past few days. “The students revealed that the accused indulged in disgusting acts such as inappropriate touching and subjecting them to traumatic experiences,” he said.

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