Research scholar beats up Dalit professor in Lucknow's BBAU, arrested

LUCKNOW: Tension prevailed at Lucknow's Dr Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU) after a research scholar allegedly assaulted his guide, a Dalit professor, on Monday for declining fellowship.

Research scholar Sanjay Upadhyay allegedly made casteist remarks and hurled expletives at Prof L C Malaiyya while thrashing him inside his chamber, the police said.

Upadhyay was arrested and a heavy contingent of police and PAC was deployed on the BBAU campus to avert any untoward incident as teachers were agitated with the behaviour of the research scholar.

According to university sources, Upadhyay had been pursuing Ph.D under Prof LC Malaiyya. Recently, Upadhyay submitted a research paper seeking fellowship but his paper was not selected.

The research scholar is said to be instigated by some students and a professor who claimed that his paper was rejected since he was not a Dalit.

Losing his cool, Upadhyay hurled castiest remarks and landed blows on the professor. As Prof Maliayya shouted for help, other faculty members and staff rushed to his rescue and separated the two. Subsequently, the professor lodged a complaint to the varsity administration which, in turn, informed the police.

SSP, Lucknow, Kaninidhi Naithani rushed police force to BBAU campus and got the research scholar arrested. "A case was lodged against Sanjay Upadhyay for hurling casteist remarks, threatening and beating the professor,” said JP Singh, Station House Officer of the Ashiana Police station.

However, the incident has decided students and faculty members. While a group of students and teachers claim Upadhyay was victimised by the Dalit professor despite being good in studies, the other group backed Prof Malaiyya claiming that the research scholar’s paper was not worthy of fellowship.