Hyderabad, July 05: Even as Kovvur MLA TV Rama Rao has been crying foul, accusing the State Government of trying to implicate him in a criminal case, the issue took a curious turn on Saturday when five girl students of Spruha College of Nursing, owned by him, alleged that he was sexually harassing them.
Nimisha Jacobs, MS Leena, Neetu Sailajan, Neetu Mooljoy and Dhanalakshmi, all from Kerala, called on Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy and submitted a representation in which they accused the TDP legislator of attempting to rape a student and misbehaving with others. The allegations come almost a fortnight after the Crime Investigation Department (CID) began a probe into a complaint filed against the MLA by a local Dalit leader. Subsequently, the MLA went on a hunger-strike charging the Government with harassing him.
After meeting the Home Minister, the students met CID officials who recorded their statement. Later, they also met AP State Human Rights Commission chairman B Subhashan Reddy, who directed the Principal Secretary, Health, to ensure that the girls get free education. He also posted the case to July 10 for further hearing. ‘‘The MLA made ugly advances to one student saying that if she cooperated with him, he would take her to Singapore and marry her. We kept quiet all these days as he is of our parents’ age. But on June 14, he tried to rape a girl. He also threatened us with dire consequences if we opened our lips,’’ they alleged in the petition submitted to the Home Minister.
Rama Rao is the Chairman of the management committee of the college. Interestingly, Congress MPTC member from Kovvur M Nagaraju also accompanied the students.
Sabita said the government would take a view after the CID submitted its report. Dismissing the allegations, Rama Rao said:‘‘They are being made to save the face of a daily and a TV channel.
–Agencies–