By IANS,
Palanpur (Gujarat) : The students of a teachers training college in Mehsana district, who fled their hostel after allegedly facing sexual harassment from a management trustee, have now threatened self-immolation to protest against the lack of police action over the incident.
Twenty three students of the K.B. Dave Adhyapan Mandir, a co-education primary teachers’ training college at Pilvai in Vijapur sub-district, 190 km from here, ran away from their hostel Saturday night and took shelter at the home of their college-mate Kinjal Patel in Sabarkantha district after two of them were sexually harassed by management trustee Kamlesh Mahendrabhai Dave, 30.
Kinjal Patel’s father Bhikabhai, who is spearheading the agitation, said Wednesday that the government has downplayed the incident. He was addressing over 200 students and their parents at Prantij in Sabarkantha district, 125 km from here.
The students have decided to sit on hunger strike July 14 in front of the Sachivalaya in Gandhinagar.
“On the same day, some of the girls will attempt self-immolation to protest the government inaction,” said Bhikhabhai.
He refused to divulge the names of students or the timing or place where the immolation attempts will be made.
Vikram Dalaji, a student leader, said: “We are joining the protest in support of the women students who are fighting a battle against lechers masquerading as educationists.”
“The state government has been inactive all these days even after we filed a complaint with the police Sunday,” lamented one of the victims.
A.K. Rathod, district education officer Sabarkantha, said the trustee of the college Kamlesh Mahendrabhai Dave, who is alleged to have sexually harassed the two girls, has been working under a different name “Kumudchandra Mahendrabhai Dave” as a teacher in V.S. Rawal Adhyapan Mandir, Prantij.
“I have asked the management to produce all records immediately,” he said.