Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, May 26: The policemen, who had taken Prof Abdul Rasheed into custody from Mysore relating to the suicide of junior lecturer of applied botany department of Mangalore University, Sujata, three years ago, produced him in the second additional sessions court here on Wednesday may 25. The court remanded him to judicial custody.

The policemen said Prof Rasheed would be produced in the court again on Thursday.

It is alleged that Prof Abdul Rasheed, who was guiding Sujata, who was pursuing her PhD course in the university then, used to sexually harass here. It is said that she committed suicide later, frustrated over this issue, on March 29, 2008 by consuming excessive dose of sleeping pills. A suicide note she left behind, and events recorded in a dairy maintained by her, have reportedly named five persons including Abdul Rasheed, former registrar of Mangalore University, K Sundar Naik,  head of Kannada department, K Abhay Kumar, and former vice-chancellor, Prof K M Kaveriappa as responsible for her consternation.

Sujata’s husband, J V Amar, with the help of Karnataka Rajya Dalit Sangharsha Samiti, pursued the case. Several investigating officers in the case failed to proceed properly, and Karnataka State Human Rights Commission also intervened later. Konaje police had registered the case. Deputy superintendent of police, Girish, had provided some impetus to the investigation, but he was transferred thereafter.

Panambur deputy commissioner of police, Puttamadaiah, was instrumental in speeding up the matter and ensuring the arrest of the prime accused, it is learnt. Services of Abdul Rashid have presently been lent to Mysore University.