BENGALURU: A series of events turned Sri Siddhartha Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre at T Begur near Nelamangala, Bengaluru Rural, into a battleground after a controversial classroom episode involving a professor and an alleged love proposal triggered outrage and violence.The incident reportedly took place Wednesday and came to light through videos recorded by students on their mobile phones and shared widely. Home minister G Parameshwara is the governing council chairman of the college, according to the college website.Trouble began when a professor, identified as Mohammed Abdul, allegedly proposed to a student inside a classroom. Three videos that have gone viral purportedly identify the professor. In one of the clips, the professor, standing on the podium addressing the class, said: “I couldn’t resist the immense love given by the batch, and I would like to propose to one of the most important girls in your batch. I shall distribute chocolates to the entire batch.” The video showed him ending the address by saying, ‘I love you’, to the girl. The student immediately objected to this and asked him to take up the matter with the principal and said the entire batch of students would go to the principal. The professor got into an argument with her, claiming that she had proposed to him recently. When she questioned him about his statement, the professor replied: “Didn’t you say I love you? Didn’t you say it?” He claimed that there was CCTV footage to support his statement, prompting the girl to demand that he show it. He then walked out of the classroom, telling her that he would speak to her the next day, while asking students to have chocolates. The professor had brought a carton full of chocolates to the class and arranged for a person to distribute them among students. However, tension escalated soon after he exited the classroom. The agitated girl, accompanied by a group of students, started hitting the professor with her slipper as other students joined in, abused him, and assaulted him. The professor reportedly fled the scene. Bengaluru Rural district superintendent of police Chandrakanth MV said a case has been registered against the professor at Nelamangala Rural police station. “The professor will be served a notice to appear before the investigating officer. There is no counter complaint filed by the professor over the assault,” an officer said. The college principal didn’t respond to TOI’s calls and messages on the issue.
