Kolkata: A PhD aspirant has accused a professor at Visva-Bharati University of sexual harassment, an official said Tuesday. A probe has been ordered.
“The university received a complaint from a PhD aspirant on October 5 alleging that she was harassed by a teacher on October 4. The matter has been referred to the university’s standing committee on sexual harassment,” university spokesman Amrit Sen said.
The committee will hear the matter 13 October, he said.
Representational image.
In her written complaint to Vice Chancellor Sushanta Dutta Gupta, the woman, a native of Manipur, accused Dean of Student’s Welfare Siddhartha Deb Mukhopadhyay of sexually harassing her.
The woman said the professor called her to his chamber on some pretext and harassed her.
The woman had applied for admission in a PhD programme in the university’s Department of Agricultural Extension, Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Statistics.
She left for Manipur soon after the incident. Mukhopadhyay, however, rubbished the allegations. ”I’m totally at loss to hear about the allegations. I do not know why she is making such baseless allegations.”
Reacting to the issue, Higher Education Minister Bratya Basu said: “If those in responsible position of the university do not take action in this matter, it will be unfortunate for the entire education sector.”
In a similar incident, a Class 11 student of a private school in Kolkata has filed a police complaint against a teacher accusing him of molestation. ”We have received a complaint about molestation from a student of Orient Day School in Behala. No arrest has been made,” a police officer said.
IANS
