Kerala University professor booked for alleged casteist remarks against research scholar

Vartha Bharati | 09-11-2025 | 19:00:00 IST

Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The head of the Sanskrit Department at Kerala University has been booked for allegedly making casteist remarks against a research scholar while refusing to sign his thesis, police said on Sunday.

Sreekaryam Police registered the case against C N Vijayakumari, Head of the Sanskrit Department and Dean of the Faculty of Oriental Studies at the university’s Kariavattom campus.

The case was registered based on a complaint filed by Vipin Vijayan, a native of Vanchiyoor and a research scholar in the department.

According to the FIR registered late Saturday night, Vijayakumari allegedly refused to sign Vijayan’s thesis after his open defence held on October 15.

Later, when Vijayan approached her again, requesting that she sign the document to complete his PhD process, the accused allegedly made casteist remarks in the presence of other teachers and students, the FIR said.

The complaint also alleged that Vijayakumari had been making similar caste-based remarks since 2015, when Vijayan began his M Phil at the Kariavattom campus under her supervision, FIR said.

The FIR stated that Vijayakumari allegedly told the complainant that people from lower castes could not learn Sanskrit and that she would clean her room with water after they entered.

Police said a case has been registered under sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(s) of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, that deals with the crime of intentionally insulting and abusing a member of the SC/ST community by caste name in public view.

Officials added that the offences are non-bailable, and a detailed probe will be conducted before deciding on her arrest.

Earlier, when the controversy broke out, Vijayakumari denied making any casteist remarks and claimed she had refused to sign the thesis as the researcher lacked sufficient knowledge of Sanskrit and his work contained several issues.

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Assam govt moves SC against anticipatory bail to Congress leader Pawan Khera

13-04-2026 ¦ 13-04-2026 IST

Photo: PTI

New Delhi (PTI): The Assam government has moved the Supreme Court against the Telangana High Court order granting one-week transit anticipatory bail to Congress leader Pawan Khera in a case registered against him for levelling allegations against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife.

The petition was filed on Sunday through advocate Shuvodeep Roy and is likely to be taken up for hearing this week.

On April 10, the high court granted one-week transit anticipatory bail to Khera.

The high court gave him a week's time to file an application before the court concerned and granted him relief with certain conditions.

"Without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, this court is of the view that the petitioner has made out a case for grant of limited transit anticipatory bail, as his apprehension of arrest appears to be reasonable and supported by material on record," the high court had said in its order.

The conditions were that the petitioner shall be released on bail in the event of arrest on his executing a personal bond for Rs one lakh with two sureties for the like sum each, cooperate with the investigation and make himself available for interrogation as and when required by the Investigating Officer and that he shall not leave the country without prior permission of the competent Court.

The conditions further include that the petitioner shall, within the stipulated period, approach the competent jurisdictional court in Assam and seek appropriate relief and he, being a public figure, shall exercise restraint in making any further public statements in relation to the subject matter of the present case, which may prejudice the investigation, the order said.

The Congress leader on April 5 had alleged that the Assam CM's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, has multiple passports and foreign property, which were not declared in the chief minister's election affidavit for the April 9 Assembly polls in that state.

The case against Khera was registered at the Guwahati Crime Branch Police Station under several sections of the BNS, including 175 (false statement in connection with an election), 35 (Right of private defence of the body and of property) and 318 (cheating).

Khera, who approached the high court on April 7, showed his residential address in Hyderabad. He had requested the high court to release him on bail in the event of his arrest.