Students protest against principal’s alleged misconduct

SURYAPET: Several female students of the Social Welfare Residential Women’s Degree College in Balemala in Suryapet district on Saturday staged a dharna in front of the institution alleging that principal Shailaja and caretaker Soumitri consumed liquor and also harassed the students.

Activists belonging to women’s organisations backed the agitating students. They demanded the suspension of the principal, who they alleged was causing trouble by drinking liquor in the college premises.

The students also claimed that when their parents came to the college to meet them, the principal and caretaker were not giving a proper response.

The students alleged that the principal allowed her son to stay in the women’s college, against the rules. They were also not allowed to move around the campus when her son was present in the college, the students added.

The protesting students said that liquor bottles were found in the principal’s room on Friday night and added that they showed them to the regional coordinator of residential colleges of Nalgonda and Suryapet districts.

As the students resorted to an agitation, Regional Coordinator Shakeena and Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) V Madhava Rao visited the college and pacified the students on Saturday. The RDO said he would submit a detailed report on the situation in the college to the district collector.

The students alleged that caretaker Soumitri was also harassing them and said she too should be suspended. When the students were protesting, the principal left the college. Upset by the protest, the caretaker tried to end her life and was prevented by other staff members of the college, sources said.