Professor accuses IIMC Amravati director of caste atrocities, registers FIR

Amravati: A case under the Atrocities Act has been registered against the Indian Institute of Mass Communication's (IIMC) director of the western regional centre, Anil Kumar Saumitra, here in Maharashtra, police said on Monday. Amravati is one of the five IIMC centres - the premier autonomous institute under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting that imparts quality education in journalism- in the country.

"A complaint against Anil Kumar Saumitra was lodged by Assistant Professor Vijay Sonule. The complaint was received on February 16 and statements of both parties along with the teaching and non-teaching staff members were recorded. After inspecting all the aspects, we were convinced of the fitness of the complaint about registration under the Atrocities Act," Frezarpura police station inspector Anil Kuralkar told PTI.

Also read | 1700 delegates to attend 'Vigyan Sarvatra Pujyate' event at Jammu University from today

A case was registered against Saumitra under section (3) (1) r of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. In his complaint, the complainant alleged that Saumitra used to mentally torture and humiliate him in front of students and staff and stop his lectures because he belonged to the Scheduled Caste community.

The complainant also alleged that Saumitra deprived him of facilities, denied him entry into the institute. He was also robbed of his responsibilities as the exam coordinator and central library committee member. The complainant Sonule told PTI that he was illegally suspended.

"It all started in July. I filed a complaint with the ministry and also with IIMC headquarters. Though a two-member committee was sent here, the IIMC did not take any action even after two months. So I approached police for justice," he said.

Saumitra was not reachable for his comment. Saumitra had stoked controversy in 2019 by calling Mahatma Gandhi the "father of Pakistan", following which he was suspended by the BJP as the party’s social media head in Madhya Pradesh.