Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar (File).
Sirsa, Haryana:
5 hundred feminine faculty college students from Haryana’s Sirsa have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s workplace, and Chief Minister ML Khattar, to accuse a professor on the Chaudhary Devi Lal College of sexual harassment and demand his suspension, in addition to an inquiry led by a retired Excessive Courtroom choose.
Copies of the letter have additionally been despatched to Vice Chancellor Dr Ajmer Singh Malik, Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Haryana House Minister Anil Vij, and Nationwide Fee for Ladies Chairperson Rekha Sharma, in addition to senior state authorities officers and choose media organisations.
The letter accuses the professor of “filthy and obscene acts”. In line with the letter, he calls women to his workplace, takes them to a toilet, and “touches non-public elements, and (does) obscene issues with us”. The women mentioned that after they protested, they had been threatened with “very unhealthy” penalties.
The letter claims this has been occurring “for a lot of months” and, “… as a result of he provides a misunderstanding of an individual of excessive character”, the professor in query has by no means been held accountable.
A particular investigation crew (SIT) to probe the matter, police mentioned. “We instantly constituted the SIT below IPS officer Deepti Garg. (The SIT) is taking statements. It has already taken statements from many individuals,” Further Director Basic of Police Shrikant Jadhav mentioned.
The SIT has already visited the college and statements are being taken, he mentioned.
The women additionally claimed the Vice Chancellor, slightly than come to their assist, “threatened to expel us… as a result of this professor is an individual of immense political affect…” The Vice Chancellor additionally reportedly tried to suppress the allegations by providing the women higher marks in written and sensible examinations.
The college’s Registrar, Dr Rajesh Kumar Bansal, confirmed receipt of the nameless letter.
“The police are investigating… the college has its personal committee which is probing the allegations. This can be a severe accusation… there isn’t any title on the letter however we are going to examine this,” he instructed NDTV.
“Motion will solely be taken afterwards. Whoever is responsible won’t be spared but when somebody is harmless then their character shouldn’t be assassinated,” the Registrar mentioned.
Dr Bansal mentioned related CCTV footage had been handed over to the police. Nonetheless, the letter claims the accused professor has already “deleted… his indecent actions from CCTV footage of his workplace”.
Of their letter the women – who mentioned they’d chosen to not reveal their identities fearing “dishonour” to their famlies – mentioned they don’t anticipate motion towards the professor until the college is “compelled” by public opinion. The letter additionally requires an investigation by a retired Excessive Courtroom choose.
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Senior Sirsa police official Deepti Garg instructed NDTV the investigation is ongoing, and that statements of a number of the college students had been recorded. The accused professor has additionally been questioned, Ms Garg mentioned, noting {that a} case will probably be filed if a preliminary inquiry finds sufficient proof.
This letter comes months after the principal of a government-run college in Haryana’s Jind district, was dismissed from service after being arrested for sexually assaulting women below his care.
READ | Haryana College Principal Sacked After 100 Ladies Accuse Him Of Sexual Harassment
Mr Khattar ordered the termination of his providers “contemplating the seriousness of the allegations…”