The internal complaints committee (ICC) of Jadavpur University that was tasked to probe complaints of “inappropriate behaviour” lodged by students against a teacher of the university has recommended that the teacher be barred from taking classes, going to any excursion or conference and acting as a research guide of any girl student, said a university official who has access to the panel’s report.
The committee, which missed its deadline by 11 days, submitted the report to vice-chancellor Suranjan Das on Thursday evening.
The bar recommended by the panel will be in force during the period when the accused teacher undergoes psychological counselling.
The period of counselling is likely to go on for six months, the official said.
“The committee is likely to sit again to take stock of what the counselling report says. Based on that report they will further recommend whether the bar would be revoked or has to be continued with,” the official said.
Sources on the campus said though the teacher has not been barred from coming to the department, he has to follow certain restrictions recommended by the committee.
Details of the restrictions would be known once the report is tabled at the meeting of the university’s executive council on December 28.
“I will not comment on what the committee has recommended at present. Let the report be tabled at the meeting of the executive council,” VC Das told The Telegraph on Friday.
The VC had on Tuesday told this newspaper that he was “hopeful” that the committee would submit its report before Christmas.
The committee was originally supposed to submit its report by December 11 following guidelines set by the UGC.
Norms stipulate that such a report has to be submitted within 90 days of the receipt of a complaint.
One of the complainant students confirmed that they received the report on Friday but refused to divulge the details.
“We have finally got the report but we are yet to know the outcome. It is categorically mentioned that the suggestion or recommendation part has not been shared as it will be placed before the executive council on Wednesday,” the complainant said.
She added that according to the rules, the “paths” of the accused teacher and the victims should not cross till the investigation was over.
“We kept requesting that allowing the professor inside the campus was a violation of ICC rules. But now the investigation is over but little has been done regarding our complaint on this particular clause,” she said.
The UGC (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2015, under which ICCs are set up, say: “The higher educational institution may (as part of interim redressal) ensure that offenders are warned to keep a safe distance from the aggrieved, and wherever necessary, if there is a definite threat, restrain their entry into the campus.”
The accused teacher during the period of the probe was barred from taking classes. But he was not barred from going to the department.
In late November, posters put up by students alleging harassment and asserting the rights of female students to choose what to wear to class on the walls of the department were pulled down.
Calls and text messages to the accused teacher failed to elicit any response.
Sources familiar with the contents of the report said it contained the statement of eight persons, including two complainants, the accused professor, five witnesses, the head of the department and three women teachers.
On October 18, students filed a general diary at Jadavpur police station against the professor with charges that included taking photographs of female students without their consent, inappropriate physical contact and uninvited comments about the students’ looks, dress, figure and social life.
The police have sought a report on the findings of the university’s internal committee.
The report is likely to be sent after December 28, sources said.
