news flash of NSUI

mumbai: activists of the national students' union of india (nsui) on thursday blackened the face of the acting principal of the watumull institute of technology, worli, over a complaint of alleged ``indecent behaviour'' with female students of the college.
a written complaint alleging that principal r.b. kulkarni used ``sexually coloured language, made indecent jokes and had, on more than one occasion, grabbed a female student's waist or tried to hold a girl's hand,'' was submitted to the nsui, the student wing of the congress, last week by the students.
``a similar complaint was filed with mumbai university's students' grievance cell on september 20, but the university failed to take action against mr kulkarni,'' nsui general secretary sadaf aboli told this newspaper. the students, however, have not made any police complaint.
on thursday, nsui activists tried to talk to mr kulkarni, but he reportedly refused to speak to them. the activists, supported by some students, then roughed up mr kulkarni and smeared boot polish on his face.
mr kulkarni was unavailable for comment. mumbai university vice-chancellor b.l. mungekar confirmed that the university had received a complaint against mr kulkarni. ``we will look into the matter on a priority basis,'' he said. asked why the university had failed to take action so far, he said, ``there are procedures that have to be followed in complaints of such a nature. a complaint regarding sexual abuse is an extremely serious matter.''
according to the students of watumull college, mr kulkarni's behaviour made them very uncomfortable. ``he cracks indecent jokes in the classroom and also comments on the physical appearance of girls,'' alleged a student.
the students have alleged that ``during the college picnic on september 8 at lohgadh near lonavla, mr kulkarni grabbed one of the girls by her waist while she was alone and made sexual comments''. the student told this newspaper that ``i have been feeling very uncomfortable in his presence after the incident at the picnic''.
in another incident, a female student who was unable to attend the picnic because of a urinary infection, was embarrassed by mr kulkarni when he allegedly announced her ailment to the whole class. ``on one occasion we asked him to stop such indecent behaviour, but he told us that we were misinterpreting his fatherly affection,'' a student said.
the students approached nsui only after university officials failed to initiate an inquiry into the matter despite the complaint. nsui has alleged that in the past when complaints were lodged with the grievance cell, the accused would often go scot-free and the complainant would be victimised.
``similar complaints of alleged sexual abuse in a college in vashi and byculla are also pending with the grievance cell. why is the cell not inquiring into the complaints,'' an activist asked.