The Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute campus in Kolkata
The Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata has been plunged into turmoil with the police registering a complaint of rape by a student against a professor. SRFTI authorities forwarded the complaint to the police on December 23. That very night, police arrived to question the student.
She has now written in a blog in which she has detailed her complaint against her professor, who is not named, and the police for harassing her during questioning.
"My name is Kunjila. It is my online handle and.... I am coming out as one of the complainants in the sexual harassment battle at SRFTI," the student writes.
"I was raped by a professor of SRFTI in the year 2014. I was coerced into having sex with him. I was physically abused by him. He slapped me once and tried to strangle me while sexually abusing me once. He forced me to have unprotected sex with him," she adds.
On the police harassment, she writes, "The police's and the institute's combined insensitivity resulted in a tense night. Not only was I not informed about the arrival of police but was also subjected to harassment by them. There was one lady officer and two male officers. Only one spoke English. The lady officer did not even speak Hindi so it was impossible for me to communicate with her."
Kunjila is not the only SRFTI student who has complained of sexual harassment. After she voiced her first complaint last month, an internal complaints committee invited female students to approach it. At least 20 did and the number of complaints voiced took the committee aback. Three professors were immediately suspended.
The SRFTI authorities were not available for comment as it is a holiday till December 28. Students were reluctant to speak on the record saying they were afraid to do so. The professor accused by Kunjila was reportedly in hospital and refused to comment when contacted.