CHENNAI: A medical student at ESIC Medical College and Hospital in KK Nagar has alleged sustained threats, intimidation, and physical harassment by the Head of the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology after he sought transparency in the functioning of the hostel mess and filed Right to Information (RTI) applications regarding alleged financial irregularities.
The complainant, Das Hunnykumar Pramodkumar, a native of Gujarat, has written to the college Dean and also made public statements alleging that he was targeted for questioning the non-disclosure of hostel mess accounts and for pursuing formal complaints through emails, RTIs and grievance portals.
According to his complaint, Hunnykumar was summoned to the Forensic Medicine HOD's chamber on January 5, where he was allegedly asked to switch off his phone and subjected to verbal abuse and threats in the presence of faculty members. The alleged intimidation, he said, was directly linked to his complaints over mess fund irregularities.
In his letter to Dean Sowmya Sampath, the student claimed that only a one-month audit, for September, was displayed on the hostel notice board, despite repeated demands for a detailed audit from January to October. He alleged that while Rs 9.53 lakh was collected as mess fees in September, the accounts showed a surplus of Rs 90,851, in addition to Rs 62,000 shown as a gas bill for the previous month, raising questions over cumulative profits and unexplained provision expenses. "The mess secretary denied disclosing further audits to anyone," Hunnykumar alleged on his social media handle.
The student further alleged a serious conflict of interest, claiming that the inquiry committee probing the mess fund issue was headed by the same HOD V Vijayanath against whom he had complained, with other members belonging to the same department.
Hunnykumar has also accused the HOD Vijayanath of continued harassment through repeated phone calls and alleged physical intimidation in an examination hall after he posted about the issue on social media
He claimed that call logs and WhatsApp messages have been submitted as evidence.
"Corruption in medical colleges is silently destroying the future of healthcare," the student said, alleging threats of expulsion and misuse of influence.
College authorities confirmed receipt of the complaint regarding mess fund irregularities and said a special committee was examining the matter. "During the inquiry, details cannot be disclosed," a medical officer told DT Next, adding that the complaint against the faculty members would also be investigated. Repeated attempts to contact Dean Sowmya Sampath did not elicit a response.