THRISSUR: Police arrested Sunil Kumar – the school of drama faculty who was suspended by Calicut University – based on the complaint filed a student that he had sexually abused her. Kumar, who was taken into custody from Kannur, tried to cut a vein while he was being moved to Thrissur with the blade he hid in his pocket, said the police.
He was taken to a nearby hospital and brought to Thrissur after his wound was bandaged. The girl too had attempted suicide a couple of weeks ago. The accused was taken for a medical test and was later produced before the magistrate in the evening, police said.
Police said more allegations were surfacing against Kumar and that a case has been filed under IPC Section 376. Earlier, the student was subjected to a medical examination and her sworn statement (under CrPC Section 164 was recorded by a JFC magistrate.
Meanwhile, Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) leaders said the stir by school of drama students demanding Kumar’s expulsion was an important matter. In a social media post, WCC said only a few girls seek an education in arts. “It is a shocking that a girl who had come to study drama, after overcoming many obstacles, tried to commit suicide after being sexually assaulted by a teacher,” the post said.
WCC said the incident has reinforced the need for an internal complaints committee in arts institutions. Creative spaces belong to women too. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure the safety of women, WCC said.
Earlier, actor Divya Usha Gopinath had alleged that Kumar, who was her research guide at the school of drama, used to send inappropriate messages. In a social media post, she expressed solidarity with the agitating students.
