LUCKNOW, Dec 30: The Vice-Chancellor of Purvanchal University has waded into controversy after remarks that appeared to encourage students to get into fights and even commit murders. As National Conference chief Omar Abdullah targeted the BJP, Uttar Pradesh minister Siddharth Nath Singh recommended action against Raja Ram Yadav, saying a vice-chancellor of "such mentality has no right to stay in his position".
At a college function in Ghazipur on Saturday, Raja Ram Yadav said, "If you're a student of this University, never come crying to me. If you ever get into a fight, beat them, if possible murder them, we'll take care of it later".
Ghazipur was spot where a police constable Suresh Vats was killed by a mob, allegedly belonging to the Nishad Party, the same evening.
Raja Ram Yadav was a professor of the Allahabad University, who was appointed the vice-chancellor of Purvanchal University -- which has 350 affiliated colleges -- in April 2017. In October, he faced criticisms of saffronisation after a Ram Katha was organised inside the university premises in October.
National Conference chief Omar Abdullah tweeted:
Get in to a fight, commit a murder as a result and this university VC will take care of things. This is what passes for an education in some places these days. Not surprisingly the audience even applauds his assertion. https://t.co/E8tI097uzN
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) December 30, 2018
This afternoon, Siddharth Nath Singh said, "It was wrong, he can't make such comments. He should teach students the way of peace but he's doing 'gunda raj'... A vice chancellor of such mentality has no right to stay in his position. I hope Deputy Chief Minister will take appropriate action," reported news agency ANI.
On December 3, another police officer, inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, was shot dead in Bulandshahr after a mob went berserk when carcasses of several cows were found in the outskirts of a village. The attackers had had used stones, sticks to hit him and chopped off his fingers with an axe before shooting him.
Several BJP leaders said the killings are "isolated incidents". Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called the killings a "political conspiracy".
Flagging the law and order in the state, the Congress and Mayawati have alleged that a "jungle raj" is running in Uttar Pradesh.
Over the last months, several instances of mob violence following reports of cattle slaughter have been reported from the state.
"People tell me miscreants prefer to stay behind bars, they are afraid of coming out," Union minister Piyush Goyal was quoted as saying by ANI. "This kind of situation has been seen for first time. It is unfortunate that the Bulandshahr and Ghazipur incidents happened... some elements are trying to disturb the environment," he added.
Courtesy: www.ndtv.com
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Kollam (PTI): A teacher convicted in the sensational murder of Dr Vandana Das inside a hospital here was sentenced to life term on Saturday, and the prosecution said it will move an appeal seeking death penalty for the accused. The victim's family also batted for "maximum punishment".
Dr Das was brutally killed inside a taluk hospital in May 2023 by G Sandeep.
Kollam Additional District and Sessions judge P N Vinod sentenced Sandeep to a total of 30 years for various offences under the then Indian Penal Code (IPC) and said that after he serves that period, his life imprisonment for Das' murder will commence.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2.35 lakh on the convict.
Though the prosecution had sought death penalty for the accused during the arguments on sentence, the court was of the view that the case does not fall under the rarest-of-rare category to warrant the maximum punishment.
It was also of the view that there was a chance of the convict getting reformed as he told the court that the rest of his life would be one of repentance, the order on sentence said.
"At the same time, I agree with the stand of the prosecution to the effect that the sentence should commensurate with the gravity of the crime and the sentence should not only be reformative, but should also have a deterrent effect."
"In my view, the said objective can be achieved by directing that the term sentences that will be imposed will run consecutively and life sentence that has to be imposed will commence only after the expiration of terms sentences," the judge said.
After the verdict, special public prosecutor (SPP) Prathap G Padickal told reporters outside the court that he will recommend to the prosecution to file an appeal seeking enhancement of the life imprisonment to death penalty.
The victim's father said that the verdict has come as a relief for the family, but that he cannot authoritatively say whether his late daughter has got justice. He indicated his dissatisfaction with the punishment, saying that steps will be taken to seek its enhancement after discussions with the public prosecutor.
Dr Das' mother said that the family can only wish for the maximum punishment and it was up to the court to decide what sentence should be given. She said that the family will go in appeal, but declined to comment on whether her daughter got justice.
She tearfully said that she wants the convict to suffer the same pain that her daughter underwent "as he stabbed her 27 times".
The court on March 17 had convicted Sandeep for various offences under the IPC, including murder, destruction of evidence and wrongful restraint.
It had also held him guilty under the provisions of the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of violence and damage to property) Act 2012.
Sandeep was brought to the taluk hospital by the police for medical treatment during the small hours of May 10, 2023 and he went on a sudden attacking spree using a pair of surgical scissors kept in the room where his leg injury was being dressed.
A school teacher by profession, he had initially attacked the police officers and another person who had accompanied him to the hospital and then turned on the young Dr Das, who could not escape to safety.
She was stabbed several times and later succumbed to her injuries in a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram where she was rushed following the attack.
Dr Das was a native of the Kaduthuruthy area of Kottayam district and the only child of her parents.
She was a house surgeon at Azeezia Medical College Hospital and was working at the Kottarakkara taluk hospital as part of her training.
Sandeep had called the emergency number 112, claiming that his life was in danger. When local police located him, he was standing close by his home, surrounded by local residents and his relatives, and had a wound on his leg following an alleged quarrel.
He was then taken to the hospital for dressing the wound.
