'Classmate's mom showed us the middle finger'

National College students say she bullied them to complain against prof, who allegedly drove her daughter to attempt suicide

National College students say she bullied them to complain against prof, who allegedly drove her daughter to attempt suicide

"Her mother showed us the middle finger," say the indignant classmates of Shraddha Srivastav, the 19-year-old student from R D National College, Bandra, who attempted suicide, saying her friends had abandoned her in her darkest hour.

Her classmates were piqued when MiD DAY spoke to them yesterday, after Srivastav's mother filed a complaint with the Khar police against a college professor, who allegedly drove her daughter to near suicide and depression. Srivastav, a TYBA student, has also played a bit role in the TV show Son Pari, which has gone off air.

'She barged in'

Happier Times: Shraddha Srivastav

On Friday, Shraddha, according to her mother, attempted to slash her wrists, but was stopped before she could do so.
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"Shraddha was punished and not allowed to attend lectures by her psychology professor Meghna Thakur, as she had missed some classes.

Shraddha then tried to urge students in her class to support her in getting Thakur removed for being unfit to teach.
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We were shown the middle finger by Shraddha's mother, Kirti, when she barged into our classroom in full view of our HOD," said a TYBA psychology student from the college. "We're now

scared that we may lose a year because of this controversy," said the worried student.

The same concerns were also addressed to the college authorities by the students, who said in a letter to the principal, Manjula Desai, "She (Kirti) said we are all abnormal students, and chamchas of Meghna ma'am [psychology professor].

One of our students got up and politely asked her [Shraddha's mother] not to speak to us like this, but she angrily abused the student and showed her the middle finger. She also threatened us that within 15 days she would show us [sic]."
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Daughter's cause

Shraddha's mother Kirti, however, had a different story. "I haven't done anything of the sort.

What mother would like to humiliate her daughter? My girl was depressed and driven to suicide by her professor and the students in her class.

I have submitted my complaints to the college and the Khar police station and I will fight for my daughter's cause," she said.

Meanwhile, Prof Thakur insists that she was being made a victim of internal politics.

"The student insisted that I was unfit to teach because I was pregnant, but I am also being dragged into this matter solely due to internal games and consequently being forced to stop lectures for third-year students," said Thakur.

Officers from the Khar police station said, "We have not yet filed any case against anyone. We will first investigate the matter before we take any further action."

The Other Side

The college principal and vice principal remained unavailable for comment. Anju Kapoor, vice principal of R D National College, also replied that she had no comment to offer in the matter in a text message to our reporter.