Mumbai: Students and supporters of the youth wing of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the Nationalist Student Congress, and the Prahar Student Organisation staged a protest at Mithibai College, Vile Parle on Tuesday, demanding the resignation of principal Rajpal Hande, as he has been accused of sexual harassment. On Tuesday, protesters stormed the college premises, as the principal had not stepped down even though a First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged against him. Hande was accused of sexual harassment by a former professor of KJ Somaiya College, Vidyavihar, in 2007. Then in 2016, a psychologist had alleged Hande had misbehaved with her during an event.
Protesters claimed they wanted the principal to resign as he was setting an incorrect example. NCP leader Amol Matale said, “The principal is setting a wrong example for students. We demand his resignation as the police have registered a case based on the accusations.” As the protests were about to take a violent turn, Juhu Police detained 40 supporters of the student Congress and 10 women for unlawful assembly. Police said they had not arrested anybody for protesting, but merely detained them to maintain law and order. Last week, Shiv Sena leader Dr Neelam Gorhe had demanded the resignation of Hande.
