This Article is From Sep 23, 2019

"Forcing Me To Commit Suicide": Chennai Professor Alleges Abuse In Video

In the video, the professor, who says she has worked for the college for the past 18 months and lives on campus, also alleges she has been locked into her home and had water and food supplies cut

'Forcing Me To Commit Suicide': Chennai Professor Alleges Abuse In Video

The college has confirmed the woman is a faculty member living on campus

Highlights

  • Woman professor in a Chennai college has alleged torture by colleagues
  • "Forcing me to commit suicide," she alleged in video posted on Facebook
  • Management of college has set up committee to probe allegations
Chennai:

A woman assistant professor in a private medical college in Chennai has alleged assault, torture and abuse by colleagues and administrative staff in a shocking video she posted on her Facebook page. In the three-minute long clip that she appears to have recorded herself the young woman, who is close to tears, identifies some of her attackers, alleges "lots of abuse, torture and physical abuse, mainly verbal abuse" and issues a plea for help. "They are forcing me to commit suicide," she says.

In the video the woman, who says she has worked for the college for the past 18 months and lives on campus, also alleges she has been locked into her home and had water and food supplies cut.

"Over the last one-and-a-half years, I've been staying in the college quarters. (I've faced) lots of abuse, torture and physical abuse, mainly verbal abuse," she narrates at the start of the video before going on to give examples of her allegations.

"When I entered the staff room a senior faculty forcibly pushed me. I fell down in front of students. It is inhumane, torturous, and abuse," she says, adding, in Tamil, "I am very depressed. They are threatening me... They are forcing me to commit suicide".

"They've locked me inside the room. No food for me over the last two weeks. Last two days they've stopped water. I'm physically sick. It is depressing. Please help me... please save me. I need justice," she adds.

The management of the institute - Tagore Medical College - which is approximately 44 km from Chennai, has confirmed the woman has lived on campus over the last year-and-a-half.

"We have constituted a formal committee. Members of the panel are talking to her. The woman faculty member's father too has come," Dr N Gunasekaran, the Dean of the college, told NDTV.

(If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist.)

Helplines:

AASRA: 91-22-27546669 (24 hours)
Sneha Foundation: 91-44-24640050 (24 hours)
Vandrevala Foundation for Mental Health: 1860-2662-345 and 1800-2333-330 (24 hours)
iCall: 022-25521111 (Available from Monday to Saturday: 8:00am to 10:00pm) 
Connecting NGO: 18002094353 (Available from 12 pm - 8 pm)

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