Six months after she filed a complaint of sexual harassment against the son of a top official of Panjab University, the University’s Committee Against Sexual Harassment has suspended the complainant and called her complaint as “false”, a report in Hindustan Times says.
The incident took place in January when the son of Dean Students Welfare (Women) Neena Caplash verbally harassed the complainant and her friends. The complainant was allegedly harassed second time by the accused who also deliberately tried to hit her with his car.
Filing a complaint with the VC of Panjab University Prof Arun Kumar, the matter was taken up by Panjab University’s Committee Against Sexual Harassment. However, in March, the VC’s office termed the complaint as false.
Presuming that her complaint was viewed as false by the VC, the victim refused to appear before PUCASH’s panel during its investigation on March 29 and April 17.
On April 25, without any participation of the victim in the case, the university’s committee called the girl’s complaint false and malicious. It also said the girl did not allege sexual harassment in her complaint with the police on January 7, the HT report said.
While the university has given a clean chit to the accused, teachers in the university are not buying PUCASH’s logic of deciding to suspend the girl. The victim is now likely to approach High Court against her suspension. She has also approached the National Commission for Women.
Feature image source: India Education Review