Cases filed against two Andhra University professors for sexual harassment

Visakhapatnam: The Three Town police here in Vizag city registered a 'bind-over’ case against two professors of Andhra University (AU) for sexually harassing women students and scholars.

Deputy commissioner of police (DCP-Zone I) S. Ranga Reddy said the III-Town police have registered a case against associate professor K. Ramesh Babu from the department of marine living resources and R. Swamy Das, head of social work department, under section 41/109 of the CrPC.

Though no complaints have been lodged directly against the professors, the police have taken action suo moto after AU registrar V. Krishna Mohan received complaints about the professors and media organisations also reported on the same.

The DCP said Ramesh Babu's wife has lodged a case of dowry harassment at III-Town police station a week ago. When the police investigated the case, they found that the professor had an illicit relationship with a research scholar.

Meanwhile, students from the department of social work lodged a complaint with AU officials stating that their head Swamy Das made abusive and vulgar comments and double entendres in the classroom. “The two professors were taken into custody on 13 February and produced before the mandal executive magistrate, Seethammadhara,” DCP Reddy said.

Meanwhile, students demanded that the two professors be suspended till the complaints were investigated and cases filed against them.