St Stephen's principal Valson Thampu
St Stephen's Principal, Reverend Valson Thampu, who is at the centre of a controversy for allegedly shielding a professor accused of molesting a student, today said he was being subject to a "media trial" and was being hounded like "an animal".
His institute, he said, was being targeted through a "manufactured" controversy as it happened to be a minority institution with a record of excellence.
"Every time we exerted our rights as a minority institute, we were attacked...," he said at a press conference, flanked by chairman of the minorities commission Kamal Faruqui and former BJP lawmaker Swami Agnivesh.
Giving examples of the attacks against him, he said, "there were other sexual harassment cases against me - but they were found to be wrong and this is the third attempt."
Appealing to the media to wait for the results of the investigation into the case, Mr Thampu said, "My time is nearly done here... Please forgive me, I have two daughters and wife".
On Monday, demands had intensified for the removal of the Principal, who also allegedly pressurised the student to withdraw her complaint against him.
The complainant had approached police on June 19, alleging she was molested by Satish Kumar, an assistant professor in college's Chemistry Department. She had accused Mr Thampu of "criminally intimidating" her to withdraw the complaint and produced some audio recordings which, she claimed, were evidence.
Insisting that he hadn't told her anything to justify the allegations, Mr Thampu said, "rather drop down dead that lie, why was the tape not given to me also?"
Mr Thampu has demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation and offered to resign if he was found guilty.
Today, reiterating that an "old boys' association" was targeting him, he added with considerable agitation, "Everybody expects me to crawl to them on four feet."
Mr Faruqui and Swami Agnivesh said they had come to "show solidarity" with the Principal.