Chennai Police books Kalakshetra teacher for allegedly sexually harassing alumna

The Tamil Nadu Police has booked a teacher of the reputed dance college at Chennai's Kalakshetra Foundation for allegedly sexually harassing an alumna. Reportedly, the woman—who studied from 2015-19 and discontinued later—filed a written complaint against teacher Hari Padman. Meanwhile, college students held a protest against Padman and three others for three days but reportedly ended the agitation on Saturday after the police action.

The accused teacher, Padman, is reportedly an assistant professor at the prestigious Kalakshetra Foundation's Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts. He has been booked by the All Women Police in Chennai's Adyar under Section 354-A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, based on a complaint given by the aforementioned alumna.

Soon after the news about the alumna's complaint spread, students of the college held a protest on Thursday, demanding the dismissal of four staff members, including Padman, accused of inappropriate behavior and sexual abuse. They wrote to the Union Ministry of Culture and urged it to act against the college's director and the head of the dance department. Students also boycotted the day's examination.

According to the The Hindu, the students' letter claimed that numerous current and former students endured years of sexual and verbal abuse from Padman and Repertory Artists Sanjit Lal, Sai Krishnan, and Sreenath. "Going beyond these four faculty members, students have faced body-shaming, verbal abuse, casteist remarks by the serving director, Revathi Ramachandran, and head of the dance department Dr. Jyotsna Menon," it noted.

Complaints were reportedly filed by several women, including the aforementioned alumna and three current students. The letter to the ministry claimed that affected students were afraid of retaliation and expulsion from the college, which is why they kept silent for years. Many tried to voice these concerns to Ramachandran orally over the past five years, but their concerns were allegedly ignored, said the letter.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister MK Stalin announced in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Friday that appropriate action would be taken with regard to the students' sexual harassment allegations. Later on Friday, State Commission for Women Chairperson AS Kumari visited the college campus to speak with the students who were demonstrating. She stated that she would submit a report to the state administration on Monday.

On Wednesday, National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma visited Kalakshetra after taking cognizance of the fresh row. Earlier, she informed Tamil Nadu Director General of Police C Sylendra Babu that the Kalakshetra case had been closed based on certain media reports and women allegedly refusing to corroborate sexual harassment at a meeting of the internal complaints committee (ICC) formed following the accusations.