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Come admission time and people with political leverage start pressurizing institutions in weird ways. Yesterday afternoon, on a return trip from my college, a senior gets a call, informing him of a scandal in Wilson college. Apparently what happened was that a science prof tried to have sex with a JC student, and the oter students took him out after garlanding him with slippers, blackned his face, and paraded him around the streets. I was wondering what the hell was going on in the city... Early this morning, a friend and I read the story from a newspaper borrowed from the chai wallah. The "facts" reported in the newspaper were as follows:



1) Last august, the girl in question was picked up by Prof. Vilas Athawle because of misbehavior

2) He took her to a staff room ALONE and talked about sex, apparently trying to convince her that such a relationship was OK in a broad minded society

3) He confiscated her phone and harassed her in various different ways after she escaped from the staff room

4) Her father wrote a letter to the National Students Union of India (NSUI), members of which took the particular action




Later in the evening, the "facts" in another newspaper were:



1) Last august, the girl in question was picked up by Prof. Vilas Athawle, because of misbehavior

2) He took her to the Zoology lab, WITH her mom, and had an overtly intimate conversation

3) The vice principle of the college, a MR. Parkar, confiscated her cell, Athavle apparently paid the fine to recover it

4) Her mother wrote the letter to the NSUI.




Also, the letter in question written by a parent of dubious genders, is published in both the newspapers, and has major changes. The inconsistencies in both the stories have convinced me that the allegations are fabricated. More so because, in my childhood a very responsible and honorable Principle, with a slightly unorthodox style of working was sent away over days because of pressure from parents and some teachers. I remember him investing personally into the school's various functions, handing over relatively large sums of money to little children just to make them responsible, and basically encouraging a very different kind of schooling. Was kicked out overnight. Name was Fulcao. What I think happened was that a girl with failing academic standards and losing focus on her studies was simply forced to leave the college, and the parents are seeking revenge using the NSUI, who in turn are using this incident as leverage to push in their students into the college. All such incidents have the same format, the slightest excuse is used to allege molestation, and the whole incident reeks of the usual political uselessness.



The princi of Fatima High School, Father Phillil Gonsalves is personally known to my family, and he too is facing such allegations. He is a gem of a person and the last person to be involved in something like this. Its just sad that such people have to face such atrocities. The church requested him to leave Mumbai for his own security, for some time, and this was interpreted as banishment by people. Apparently, this man REPEATEDLY molested the girl, who was, btw, refused admission in the school. There is a strong protest by both parents and teachers against these allegations and the church request.