CHENNAI: An ugly scene played out in the University of Madras campus on Thursday when the head of Legal Studies Department was allegedly beaten up by two of his students, a day after one of them lodged a police complaint against the HOD for assaulting him in a locked room and making disparaging casteist remarks.
David Ambrose, the head, got admitted in a hospital on Thursday after he claimed he was brutally attacked by two of his students using chairs, which left him with bleeding injuries. In his complaint to Anna Square police station, Ambrose alleged that two students - Ranjith and Jeevanandham - attacked him at 4pm on Thursday.
“I suffered injuries on my head, nose and was left bleeding. Both of them attacked me using chairs and then left the place,” Ambrose told Express. A few other faculty members said they witnessed the assault.
According to Ambrose, the students had failed in their exams and on Wednesday came to him demanding that he show them their exam papers. “When I refused and pushed them away, they created a ruckus,” he said.
However, the students claimed that the HOD abused them with disparaging casteist remarks and even tore the shirt of one of the students.
“On Wednesday evening, I met Prof Ambrose along with two other students to check our answer papers. The professor refused to show and abused us calling us Dalits. He called some others and they attacked us in a locked room. At 6pm, I filed complaint with the university registrar. Since no action was taken, I filed a police complaint,” Ranjith, a Master of Legal International Studies student told Express.
However, Ambrose dismissed the claims of the students that he called them Dalits. “Six of the students I guide (for Ph D thesis) are Dalits,” he said to assert that he had nothing against the community as the students claimed.
An officer of Anna Square police station confirmed the receipt of complaints from both the student and the faculty. “On Wednesday, Ranjith filed a complaint alleging his professor had used abusive words and locked him in a room. On Thursday, a faculty member filed a complaint that Prof. David Ambrose was attacked by two students and that he is now admitted in GH,” said the police officer. The police have not filed FIRs.