Hyderabad: Students of JNTU Sultanpur have accused a physical education teacher of inappropriate behaviour, alleged extortion by staff in the name of scholarships and harassment by senior officials, urging the university to suspend the accused and restore a safe academic environment on campus.
In a detailed representation to the registrar of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTUH), the students demanded an impartial, high-level inquiry into the actions of the principal, chief security officer and several faculty members. The complaint stated that students were forced to escalate matters to university authorities after repeated attempts to report issues locally failed.
“Teachers are meant to guide us, not threaten or harass us,” said student leader Dileep, condemning the alleged misconduct by senior staff. The students claimed that the principal’s extended tenure since 2014 had created an atmosphere of fear, with legitimate complaints often met with threats or hostility.
The memorandum listed five key areas of concern: administrative irregularities, lack of academic progress, suppression of student and faculty voices, neglect of welfare infrastructure and discriminatory practices. It stated that academic and strategic decisions were frequently made without proper procedures, while campus development projects remained incomplete or non-functional.
Other accusations include some faculty members collecting bribes under the pretext of processing student scholarships and that others displayed inappropriate conduct towards students. The students demanded immediate suspension of the accused pending inquiry and urged the university to shift them to other campuses to ensure a fair investigation.
Prof. Ravikiran Sarvadevabhatla, who helped prepare one of the English research papers for CVPR 2025, was not involved in this matter. “Even when students took the painful step of writing to higher authorities, it was because they had no other avenue,” said Sujay Darla, another student signatory. He added that it was unacceptable for those accused of harassing students to remain in positions of power while investigations were pending.
The students also criticised the lack of a proper grievance redressal system and called for an independent, confidential mechanism for students to report issues without fear of retaliation. A copy of the representation was also sent to the offices of the Vice-Chancellor and the Rector of JNTUH. The university is yet to respond to the complaints.