After 8 months of waiting, the concerned authorities have left the decision hanging, over a professor accused of misconduct.
On Wednesday, 24 October, various students of the University of Delhi’s Bharti College protested in the college campus against the alleged ignorance of the Governing Body (GB) for not following the recommendations of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in a sexual harassment case against a teacher. The protest comes after 8 months after the case came to light through a student’s complaint against the accused professor. However, the failure to take any action has been met with backlash from the students in the varsity.
In February, a student had written to the university authorities against a teacher, who she said was sending her lewd messages and trying to have “vulgar conversations” with her. She had also submitted a purported video of her confronting and slapping the teacher, with him apologising, following which the college sent him on leave pending enquiry. It is to be noted that the college authorities decided to suspend the professor in June, but they did not receive approval from the varsity authorities.
The ICC, which submitted its report on August 28, has suggested compulsory retirement for the accused. “We submitted our recommendations on August 28 to the university. Students are angry because, in June, the GB had suspended the teacher, but the university did not send its approval. He’s not coming to college, but he’s getting his full salary. So there is some resentment among students because of this, and because the ICC recommendations have not been followed,” told ICC presiding officer Rakhi Jain, to The Indian Express.
The college principal, however, said that the procedure was being followed. Officiating principal Mukti Sanyal said the college and GB were following procedure.
“There are long-drawn processes which have to be followed. The ICC has submitted its report and the GB has done whatever it needs to do at the stage at which it is but there are other stages to be completed. It has to finally be ratified by the university and get the V-C’s approval. We’re steadily and surely working in the direction so that the right thing is done,” she told the same daily.
GB Chairman Ajay Gaur said the “matter was under process”.
DU Registrar Tarun Kumar Das and Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi did not respond to calls and texts by The Indian Express.
(With inputs from The Indian Express.)
Feature Image Credits: The Indian Express.
Kartik Chauhan