A 23-year-old Government Law College student, alleged victim of her professor’s sexual misconduct, tried to commit suicide on Thursday night at her residence in Chathanoor, Kollam, after watching a TV programme on her case. According to the police, the girl was unconscious, but out of danger on Friday evening.
Prof. K. Rajan was arrested on April 24 from his residence on the basis of her complaint.
Chathannoor assistant commissioner P.V. Suresh Kumar said the victim had attempted suicide after watching a special TV programme on a leading Malayalam television channel, aired at 9.30 pm on Thursday, showing the professor’s wife alleging that she had demanded `50 lakhs. Explicit clippings from movies were also shown in between the show, along with the girl’s bytes. Upset, she locked herself in the bedroom, swallowed sleeping pills and cut her vein.
It was her live-in partner, who found her unconscious one hour later and rushed her to hospital. The Kollam chief judicial magistrate, who could not record her statement as she was unconscious, is likely to visit her again on Saturday.
The high court on Friday asked the government to submit its views on a bail application moved by the professor.
According to her complaint, the professor had gained her confidence by offering to give her legal aid in solving a property dispute, in which her live-in partner was involved. It was also alleged that later he promised to give her high grades in examination. Then he sexually exploited her under the pretext of marrying her.
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9 injured in explosion on latur bus
AGE CORRESPONDENT
mumbai, MAY 10
A blast ripped through a state transport bus at a bus stand in Chakur taluka of Latur district on Friday evening grievously injuring at least three persons, including a woman. At least six others have sustained serious injuries in the blast.
According to an official from Chakur police station, the incident took place at around 7.15 pm in a bus at a bus stand in Nalegaon village, a well-known religious tourist site in Chakur taluka. The injured have been rushed to Latur Civic Hospital.
The blast took place minutes after the driver got off the bus to register the arrival of the bus at the stand. Initial reports suggested that the blast occurred due to over heating in the bus engine. However, after probing further, the officials found out that the engine failure could not be the reason as there was no major damage to the engine. The officials also ruled out the possibility of the IED device being used, as they did not find any IED parts from the blast site. A police source revealed, “When we reached the spot, we could smell burnt gelatine sticks. We suspect some passenger was carrying these sticks and was seated right behind the driver.” At the time of going to press, a team of ATS had left from Maharashtra to probe the crime scene. The possibility of a terror attack hasn’t been ruled out.
At the time when the blast occurred there were around 50 to 100 persons at the bus stop. The bus in which the blast took place had come from Latur and was about to leave for Udgir.