Bangalore University is all agog over the 'wedding pictures' of Exams Registrar Dr K Puttaraju and a colleague, but he claims the images are morphed, alleges upper caste colleagues targeting him
Bangalore University is all agog over the 'wedding pictures' of Exams Registrar Dr K Puttaraju and a colleague, but he claims the images are morphed, alleges upper caste colleagues targeting him
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An outraged Puttaraju told MiD DAY the pictures were morphed.
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The pied piper: Puttaraju and Shailashree with his students in the photo that was allegedly morphed |
Some of Puttaraju's colleagues are circulating pictures saying he has married a PhD student who is also a lecturer in the communication department.u00a0 'I am in no way concerned with this but everybody believes they are married," said one of his colleagues, showing us some photographs. "It is desirable that a teacher's integrity be established beyond doubt."
MiD DAY had carried a report last week about Puttaraju being made the Acting Registrar of Evaluation despite a High Court judgment that he should not be given examination or any other confidential work. The case against Puttaraju was that he had vindictively failed some female students.
The vice-chancellor had promised action after going through a copy of the judgment. And now, the campus is abuzz with news of Puttaraju's alleged second marriage.
Caste politics
Puttraju refuted the second marriage insinuation. "I have been happily married for over 30 years, and have not married my student," he said.
"We are victims of caste prejudice in the university. Some of our colleagues don't want her to do her PhD and they are indulging in character assassination," he said.
u00a0He said he had seen the pictures and they were fake. He also claimed his opponents had forged a marriage certificate, a copy of which was with him.
"These days you can get your own death certificate. And I need not tell you that the marriage certificate with me is forged," he said.
The colleague, Puttaraju is said to have married, is writing a thesis on journalism and women's empowerment.
Puttaraju alleges upper caste colleagues are targeting him while scheduled caste lecturers are baying for his student's blood.
Unfair evaluation
Interestingly, the High Court had reprimanded Puttaraju for indulging in caste politics in its judgment on his unfair evaluation of girl students.u00a0
The colleague who supposedly married Puttaraju was in tears when MiD DAY contacted her for her reaction. "He is my father's age. How can I marry him?" she asked.
She said her colleagues had made her life hell by spreading all sorts of rumours about her.
She has seen the pictures and she says they are fake. "I am scared about the consequences if I go to the police," she said.
Puttaraju said he wanted to complain, but he wasn't able to pinpoint who was behind the mischief.
"My colleagues are circulating those pictures... If anybody tells me whou00a0 the real culprit is, I can go to the police commissioner with a complaint," he said. "Now, I am helpless."
Bigamy is a crime...
Marrying more than one is a punishable offence under the Hindu Marriage Act. A person who has married a second time while his first marriage is intact is punishable under Sections 494 and 495 of the Indian Penal Code.
...So is altering a picture
Dr Puttaraju says the pictures are digitally altered. If done by an unauthorised person, such alteration violates the IT Act of 2000 and attracts punishment. The violator can also be booked under the IPC.
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