Ten students from the University of Hyderabad (UoH) were suspended earlier this week for an alleged attack on faculty wardens and "serious acts of indiscipline".
Talking to reporters, UoH Pro Vice Chancellor P Prakash Babu and Vinod Pawarala, professor and official spokesperson of the university on Saturday said: “The university is distressed that it is being dragged into a needless controversy after 10 students were suspended following an attack on, and serious acts of indiscipline against, faculty Wardens who were discharging their duties.
Talking about the incident which took place on 3 November, they said the the wardens found a girl student at a boarder's room against the hostel rule:
When the wardens asked them for their identity cards, they refused to comply and began raising a hue and cry...They switched off the lights about three times and manhandled wardens in the dark.
Also Read: Students Protest ‘Unlawful’ Move as Hyderabad Univ Suspends 10
Two students were suspended for two years and other eight students were suspended for six months as suggested by an inquiry committee, they said. Rejecting allegations of moral policing on campus made in some quarters, they said the university is open to the idea of arranging co-ed hostels for its students.
“However, this will be done in due course of time and providing for such facilities is contingent upon resources made available to the university,” they said.
The option of seeking an appeal to reconsider the decision is available to the students, UoH Pro Vice Chancellor P Prakash Babu and Vinod Pawarala, professor and official spokesperson of the university said.
If students feel that the punishment is heavy, there are procedures. Let them appeal. There may be chances of the university considering it.
The Dean (Students Welfare) and Chief Warden are working together to defuse the situation and they are contacting the students and parents, they said. The students have given individual representation to the Vice Chancellor seeking revocation of suspension.
“There are representations given to the VC now from these people. These individual students have given representations; which unfortunately look like a standard letter that all of them wrote individually without explaining their own individual positions, but with a request to revoke the suspension. Those are with the VC. We are dealing with appeals process," they said.
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