Bathinda central varsity students seek action against prof for casting aspersion on girl’s character

Hundreds of students of the Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, on Tuesday confronted their vice-chancellor demanding action against an associate professor for allegedly casting aspersions on the character of a girl student who had filed a complaint of molestation against a canteen employee last week.

On March 19, a student of department of history had dialled ‘100’ and called police on the university campus demanding registration of a case against the canteen employee, Arvind, who is still absconding.

The incident took place on the backside of the university canteen mess on February 27 when the girl was returning to her hostel after having food.

Associate professor Deepak Chauhan of the department of laws has been named in a separate complaint with the university authorities for the remark he made after the molestation complaint was made.

“Ye ladki kaunsi doodh ki dhuli hai. Punjab mein to ye sab hota hi rehta hai (This girl is not clean. Such molestation incidents are a routine in Punjab),” he is learnt to have told Dev Kumar Burman, an MA history student, whom Chauhan called to pressurise the victim for withdrawing her complaint.

V-C gheraoed

The protesting students on Tuesday raised slogans in front the office of vice-chancellor RK Kohli. University dean students welfare (DSW) Prof VK Garg tolf the media that he had received Dev’s complaint in which Prof Chauhan has been accused of passing the remark and the matter is now in the hands of the V-C.

The DSW said Chauhan was no more the member of the gender sensitisation committee for sexual harassment. Chauhan denied the allegations.

They gheroed Kohli as soon as he arrived at his office. He assured the agitating students that he would mark a time-bound inquiry into the allegations against Chauhan and the grievances redress committee will submit its probe report by April 25. He also assured to include three students in the probe committee.

The students demanded that Chauhan tender a public apology and the V-C must explain delay in action in the alleged sexual harassment incident and reconstitution of the gender sensitisation committee for sexual harassment committee in accordance with the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines.

“We are looking for the accused who hails from Jharkhand,” said sub-inspector Jasveer Singh, the investigation officer in the FIR lodged on March 20 under Section 354-A (molestation amounting to sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code.