Dr P Rashmita, a final-year postgraduate student at MNR Medical College, who has alleged that she was failed "on purpose" by the college management after she refused to withdraw an FIR against the college's assistant director, spoke to EdexLive about the issue.
Rashmita is a student from the Department of Anesthesiology at MNR Medical College and she was the one who signed the FIR against the assistant director in November 2022.
It was last year that several female students from the college, including Rashmita, had come forward to file the FIR against Assistant Director Narayana Raju, who allegedly stalked and harassed female students at the institute. But nothing came off it.
Now, Rashmita has alleged that the college management has failed her "on purpose" in the final year practical examination which was conducted in June 2023, as she refused to withdraw the FIR.
She failed the final practical examination by almost 40 marks, scoring 111 out of 300.
“I got the result last week. I received a good score in the theory exam but failed in the practicals. I have written to the university but I do not think they have looked into the matter either. I am only asking that the practical exam be re-conducted for me. I am not asking for grace marks. I will take a re-exam and they can choose a neutral government college as they are a centre too,” she added.
Moreover, Rashmita said that if she does not get a response from the university, she will have to take a legal route and move court.
The Healthcare Reforms Doctor's Association (HRDA) has also submitted a letter to the Governor of Telangana, who is also the Chancellor of Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS), Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, on July 22, 2023, asking her to look into the matter.
What happened?
“Assistant Director Narayana Raju has been with the college for years now. He used to visit the undergraduate girls' hostel at odd times and take pictures of the students. Wardens were present, but as he holds a higher position, no one interfered. It has been going on for years but several women came out and spoke about it last year,” Dr Rashmita alleged.
Back in November 2022, she was compelled to file an FIR against the assistant director after he allegedly tried to enter the ladies’ changing room of the Anesthesiology department, she claimed.
The students also launched a strike last year, demanding the assistant director’s suspension. After this, the protestors were supposedly informed that an internal committee will be formed to look into the allegations and necessary actions will be taken.
“No actions were taken, he was not suspended as he continues to hold the same position. Though we filed an FIR last year, the case is still ongoing. At the time, there were several women who shared their experiences but I was the one who signed the FIR,” added Rashmita.
Along with Rashmita, two other UG students were quoted in the police complaint, she informed, while many other women took part in the strike.
“I am worried about the other two students as the UG examinations will be conducted soon and I am afraid they will face the same consequences," she shared.
Rashmita added that in response to the FIR, the assistant director had filed another police complaint against the students, saying that attempts were being made to hurt his reputation and dignity. “Initially, we were asked to give our statements but no action was taken against the FIRs. The police also asked us to compromise with the college management,” she alleged.
After filing the FIR, Rashmita claimed that she was intimidated by the college management, including the principal Venkata Ramanaiah, asking her to withdraw the complaint or it would lead to failure in the examination.
When EdexLive reached out to Principal Venkata Ramanaiah, he refused to comment on the issue as it “does not involve the principal’s office”.
