HoDs reject settlement offer, want Dhawankar punished

Nagpur: Even as tainted associate professor Dharmesh Dhawankar’s forced leave was extended indefinitely, the seven heads of postgraduate departments at Nagpur University have insisted that the accused face action for extorting Rs15.50 lakh from them.
Insiders said a former registrar has jumped into the controversy to broker a compromise between Dhawankar and the HoDs, by offering to get their money back. However, the former registrar has denied this, saying he has distanced himself from both sides. “The question of compromise doesn’t arise now. If this issue could be settled mutually or through anyone’s intervention, the HoDs would not have recorded their statements before the fact-finding panel. I never spoke to any HoD or Dhawankar,” the former registrar said.
Sources said the HoDs have said that Dhawankar, who is from the mass communication department, would have to return the money in any case, but their complaint can’t be withdrawn. Dhawankar was given charge of NU’s public relation officer (PRO), a Class II post, by vice chancellor Subhash Chaudhari. Dhawankar, a class I official, allegedly extorted money in his capacity as PRO by promising to settle cases of sexual harassment raised by students against the HoDs.
Top NU officials too said that withdrawing the complaint after so much of outcry at university and government level, beside media glare, may raise questions about the HoDs too. “It looks unlikely that they would withdraw their complaint,” they said.
The seven HoDs had submitted written complaints to Chaudhari on November 4 last year, seeking action by the administration or permission to file FIR against Dhawankar for defrauding them of Rs15.50 lakh. Dhawankar is accused of taking Rs15.50 lakh in various instalments from six HoDs by allegedly concocting complaints of sexual harassment against them, and threatening one on the same pretext. One HoD had refused to yield to Dhawankar’s alleged demands.
Dhawankar allegedly took the money on the pretext of settling the cases with lawyers on NU panel. Chaudhari was forced to send Dhawankar on compulsory leave following intervention by deputy chairperson of legislative council Neelam Gorhe on December 3, nearly a month after he received the complaints.
On Saturday, Chaudhari extended Dhawankar’s forced leave till the next order after the earlier order expired. The VC didn’t answer TOI’s calls.
Insiders said the HoDs informed the inquiry panel that Dhawankar had demanded Rs7 lakh from each of them but settled for smaller amounts on instalment basis.