Tue Sep 02 14:00:48 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the provided text, formatted for publication and written from an objective standpoint.
**News Article:**
**Indian Court Acquits Professor in 2014 Sexual Harassment Case; Alleges Conspiracy by Students**
**Thodupuzha, India – September 2, 2025:** The Additional Sessions Court IV in Thodupuzha has acquitted Anand Viswanathan, a college professor, of sexual harassment charges initially filed against him in 2014 by five of his students. Judge Laijumol Sherif delivered the verdict, concluding a protracted legal battle for Prof. Viswanathan.
In September 2014, the students, all female, lodged complaints with the Education Minister and the Kerala Women’s Commission, alleging that Prof. Viswanathan, then Head of the Economics department at Munnar Government College and an additional chief examiner, had made sexual advances towards them. Police subsequently registered four cases based on these statements.
However, investigations later uncovered evidence suggesting the students had conspired to falsely accuse Prof. Viswanathan. The investigation revealed they were caught cheating during a second-semester MA Economics examination and sought to retaliate when the professor reported the malpractice. Prof. Viswanathan stated that the examination was conducted without adherence to university guidelines and mass copying was rampant.
“Out of the eight students who appeared, I noticed five female students engaging in mass copying. I asked the invigilator to report the malpractice to the university,” he stated.
According to Prof. Viswanathan, the complaints were filed after the college reopened following Onam vacation. He was subsequently suspended and later transferred. He also alleges that the college’s internal inquiry committee was unfairly reconstituted, denying him a fair opportunity to present his case.
While a two-member panel appointed by the Controller of Examinations confirmed the initial report of academic malpractice, a Devikulam court sentenced Viswanathan to three years in prison in 2021. Prof. Viswanathan appealed the ruling to the Thodupuzha Sessions Court, culminating in his acquittal.
Prof. Viswanathan further claimed that the students involved in the false accusations admitted during the trial that the complaint was orchestrated at the CPI(M) office in Munnar.
“Two students from Tamil Nadu and three from Kerala had filed the false complaint. During the trial, they admitted that the complaint was prepared at the CPI(M) office in Munnar,” Prof. Viswanathan alleged.
He expressed relief at the acquittal, highlighting the support he received from his family throughout the ordeal. He intends to pursue defamation cases against those he believes were responsible for the false accusations, hoping to deter similar incidents in the future.
First Piper 