Univ panel clears prof of harassment charge, bars girl from classes
Times of India | 26 May 2024
Kolkata: The Jadavpur University internal complaints committee (ICC) has dismissed charges of harassment that a student had levelled against a senior professor, citing anomalies between the written complaint and the complainant’s deposition.
After the ICC report was placed at the EC meeting on Friday, it was decided the complainant would not be allowed to attend classes and would have to apologise to the professor.But she can appear for exams. The professor said, “It is a dangerous trend that if someone tries to protect the academic standard, he/she will have to face false and malicious allegations.”
On Feb 21, the student had complained the invigilator had asked her to stop writing and that she was taken to the professor’s chamber, where he forcibly held her hand and tried to push her out when she urged him not to debar her from the test. She alleged the professor forcibly put ink on her hand to prove she had written answers on her palm. She alleged she was “frisked uncomfortably” during Feb 19 exams. The ICC said no frisking took place on Feb 19. It stated the girl was caught with writings on her left palm on Feb 21 and was taken to wash her hands. “She was not taken to any room, no one held her hand...” said the report. —Dipawali Mitra