The Satavahana University has been shutdown temporarily, a day after several students assaulted an English professor for allegedly deliberately giving them low score in internal exams. University Registrar M Komal Reddy on Friday announced the shutdown after the College of Arts and Social Sciences Principal S Sujatha suspended 23 students for roughing up Prof PV Laxmiprasad, Head of the Department of English.

All the suspended are MA English and MA Sociology students. The Registrar has also constituted two committees to probe into circumstances that led to the attack. T Bharat, Controller of Examinations, has been asked to head both the panels.

The academic staff boycotted their duties on Friday in protest against the assault and staged a dharna in front of the principal’s chamber demanding immediate action against the students. The faculty members and Prof Laxmiprasad submitted separate representations to the principal. “All the answer-sheets were burnt by the students after assaulting the HoD. How can we re-evaluate the marks?” questioned a visibly upset Vice-Chancellor K Veera Reddy and termed the incident unfortunate.

The students involved in the attack met the principal and tried to explain why they had attacked the professor in an ‘emotional’ outburst. They also tendered an apology. However, the teaching staff demanded that the principal take immediate action against the culprits. “Some students even captured the visuals of the assault on mobile phones. This indicates it was a deliberate act,” said a faculty member. Even as tempers ran high on the campus, it has been claimed that one of the suspended students, T Balakishan, attempted suicide. His attempt was said to have been thwarted by his friends.

According to sources, Prof Laxmiprasad had to be rushed to a private hospital immediately after the attack. Fortunately, he didn’t sustain major injuries. The sources told Express that the students had barged into the professor’s room forcibly and ransacked the furniture after assaulting him. Later, they staged a demonstration demanding his suspension and re-evaluation of internal marks.

The English department had announced internal marks of the students on Wednesday. While some secured 16 out of 20, several others got just one mark. The aggrieved students accused the professor of giving good marks to students of private colleges.

The situation has come to such a pass that university staff and assistant professors submitted a memorandum to the Vice-Chancellor expressing their inability to work amidst this kind of “intimidating conditions.” They alleged that the students were behaving like goons and threatening them with dire consequences if they did not act as per their wishes.

Responding to them, the Vice-Chancellor agreed that “vandalism is unacceptable on the campus” and promised action within a couple of days. The police too have registered a case under various sections of the IPC based on a complaint filed by the university teaching staff.

23 students suspended

Satavahana University’s College of Arts and Social Sciences Principal S Sujatha on Friday suspended 23 students for roughing up Prof PV Laxmiprasad, Head of the Department of English. Move comes after teaching faculty express inability to work in present conditions.