Chennai: A final year student from a city college lowered her voice as she recounted how she was allegedly taken to her college's restroom and stripped of her clothing by her Physical Education teacher. "Compared to the shame I underwent then, speaking about it now is hardly anything," she says.
The reason for her forced search? "They have been searching our bags to try and find concealed cell phones ever since I joined the college, but searching our bodies is just too much. They never found any phones," she said, steeling herself before going to meet the Vice-Chancellor of Madras University to place a formal complaint against her college.
She is one of three students who have come forward with similar charges against the staff of Prince Venkateshwara College of Arts and Sciences near Selaiyur.
The list of complaints that the students raised against the college was long and exhaustive. After listening to Meera's account of how she was strip-searched, Madras University Vice-Chancellor, G Thiruvasagam, said, "Students are not criminals and do not deserve to be searched like this. If this report is found to be true, we will have to respond severely."
He also said he was nominating a committee to inspect the premises, speak to the authorities and students and then file a report "before the end of August" after which any action against the college will be decided.
Thiruvasagam also said, "I have informed the principal that the students are fearful of action and that such a state cannot continue. If any action is taken against the students, we will intervene."
Over 150 students of the college arrived at the University to protest against the atrocities that the college authorities were allegedly subjecting them to. "We have been on strike outside the college since Wednesday, but the administration has not done anything," said Ramesh, a second- year student.
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