Delhi: University finds teacher guilty of sexual harassment, asks him to quit admin post

A professor at a university in Delhi has been found guilty of alleged sexual harassment by an internal inquiry committee and asked to step down from the administrative position he holds, people familiar with the matter said.

The complaint was filed by a research student from the another university in the Capital last October. The alleged incidents happened between 2015 and 2016, when both were pursuing PhD.

The complainant accused the professor, who was appointed in the university in 2017, of “forcibly kissing and groping” her on at least on two occasions.

She filed a complaint after she allegedly heard the teacher behaved in a similar manner with other women.

The university’s committee for prevention of sexual harassment formed an inquiry committee to look into the matter and its report, dated February 20, recommended that the professor should, “step down from any administrative position he may be holding currently and should not be in any administrative position for at least two years from the date of implementation of recommendation of the IC.”

The committee asked the university to issue a warning letter that a complaint of sexual harassment against him in future can have serious consequences. “This may even include suspension from service or any such steps as provided by rules,” one of the four main recommendations said.

The committee’s head declined to comment, saying, “all constituents of the university are bound by the confidentiality clause enshrined in the (university) policy on prevention of sexual harassment, approved by our board.”

The complainant, in a letter to the committee after the inquiry report was out, pointed out that the teacher’s name was not mentioned in the report. “Not only has the committee not followed zero-tolerance policy towards sexual harassment as the university policy states, the punitive actions recommended cause minimal impact to his position as a powerful academic and person of authority,” the complainant said.

HT is not naming the professor as the committee’s report has not mentioned his or the complainant’s name.

The university’s vice-chancellor did not respond to calls and messages for a comment.

The teacher accused of harassment said the report and recommendations of the committee are only one part of the process provided by the university rules. He said as per rules, either party can appeal the recommendations and he has informed the committee about his intention to appeal.

“I can, and must, however, say this – I dispute the report in its entirety, its findings and recommendations included,” he said.