KGMU Lucknow faculty and doctors threaten protest over delay in filing FIR after ‘vandalism’ on campus

Teachers, staff, resident doctors, and the nursing association at King George’s Medical University in Lucknow have announced plans to protest the police’s failure to file an FIR regarding the alleged vandalism at the vice chancellor’s office on Friday. A meeting has been scheduled for Monday to determine the next course of action.

The ruckus on Friday broke out after a group of people, including the chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Women’s Commission, barged into the campus and allegedly tried to force their way into the V-C’s office while protesting against a doctor accused of forcible religious conversion.

The university’s chief proctor filed a complaint with the Chowk police station about campus vandalism. However, an FIR has not yet been registered because the police claim their investigation into the information provided is ongoing. In the meantime, a significant police presence has been deployed on the campus due to safety concerns raised by the KGMU administration and staff.

Sources on the campus said that though the situation escalated Friday, this was not the first incident involving a random group of people entering the campus to enquire about the actions taken regarding the alleged ‘love jihad’ case.

In this case, a woman resident doctor from the pathology department had complained of sexual harassment and forced religious conversion involving Dr Rameezuddin Nayak, also from the same department. The internal Vishaka committee to check sexual harassment of women at the workplace later found the doctor guilty of these allegations and the Lucknow police arrested him Friday.

“While this was the only incident of vandalism at the campus, in the past 14 days, there have been five such instances, where a group of random individuals barged into the campus seeking clarification from the administration on the alleged incident of ‘love jihad’. The recent incident of vandalism has thus raised concerns of security,” said a senior faculty member at the university.

The Vice Chairman of the Women’s Commission, Aparna Yadav, visited KGMU to address allegations that the university administration was preventing female students and faculty from approaching the Commission about incidents related to ‘love jihad’. She arrived on campus with her supporters and requested a meeting with V-C Soniya Nityanand.

While waiting, several supporters allegedly attempted to force their way into the V-C’s office. Subsequently, the university administration reported instances of vandalism on campus and filed a complaint at the chowk police station, citing CCTV footage as evidence.

Teachers, employees, and resident doctors have warned of protests demanding that an FIR be registered following their complaint.

“Shortly after the incident, the employees’ union, as well as the unions of resident doctors, nurses, and faculty members, expressed a desire to protest. However, they were persuaded to follow the legal route, as any extreme action could adversely affect patient care,” said K K Singh, a professor in the surgery department and spokesperson for the university.

“We have two main demands: addressing security concerns and filing an FIR regarding the incident. While the police have deployed a heavy presence on campus, including the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), the latter demand remains unmet. A meeting has been scheduled for Monday to make a final decision,” added Singh.