Patna, March 14: Bihar State Women's Commission has summoned Patna Medical College principal S.N. Sinha on March 30 after a tutor filed a complaint with the panel yesterday, alleging misbehaviour.

The tutor, on contract in the anatomy department in PMC, levelled charges of mental torture against the principal, while the latter was on inspection on Thursday.

Commission chairperson Anjum Aara told The Telegraph today: "The tutor, in her complaint, said while the anatomy class was in progress on Thursday noon, the principal came to the department for inspection. The principal asked her the number of cadavers (bodies for dissection) the department had. When the tutor told the principal that there was a shortage of cadavers, he started shouting and asked her why she had not informed the head of the department about the same."

Aara said the tutor told the principal that she had already informed the head of the department on more than one occasion about lack of cadavers and human bones but no action was taken by the head of the department. The chairperson added: "According to the tutor, on hearing her answer, the principal lost his temper and started shouting."

"His (principal's) body language was offensive and if the teachers present on the spot had not intervened, he would have hit me," the tutor said in her complaint.

Sinha, however, denied the allegations levelled against him. He said: "All my students are supporting me ."

Aara said to strengthen her version, the tutor has made students present in class at the time of incident sign a petition stating the principal had misbehaved with her. "One should respect women and the responsibility for the same increases when you are holding a higher position," she said.

PMC anatomy department head Khurshid Alam said: "When the principal came to the department, practical classes were on and the tutor concerned was sitting and talking with other teachers. The principal thought the tutor was not paying attention to the class and was indulging in gossip. This infuriated the principal and a heated discussion ensued."

Alam also refuted the allegation levelled by the tutor that there was shortage of human bodies for dissection. "There are sufficient bodies and at a given time two-three bodies always remain for dissection work," he said.

A final-year student rejected Alam's claim. He said there is a shortage of bodies for dissection. However, he said the allegation of mental torture against the principal is baseless. "As the head of the institution, the principal can say something to anyone with respect to work," adding: "A fuss has been created out of the whole issue.

The tutor was unavailable for comment.