An assistant professor at Assam University was suspended for 90 days on Wednesday following “complaints of sexual harassment” from students of his department.

The suspension order issued by the registrar of the university located in Silchar under Cachar district said the administration also obtained a report from the head of the social work department on the complaints by students against assistant professor Ajit Kumar Jena before initiating a detailed internal inquiry into the complaints.

The university had asked Jena to immediately go on leave from May 5 pending inquiry and cooperate with the police in connection with the registration of the FIR based on complaints lodged by the students on May 4.

“But it was observed that Mr. Jena neither applied for leave, nor obtained due leave of absence. Further, Mr. Jena has also not reported to the police. Considering the non-compliance of the instructions of the University… hereby places said Jena … under suspension for a period of 90 days with immediate effect,” the suspension order said.

Jena has been asked not to leave the district headquarter or enter the University Campus without obtaining prior permission from the competent authority during the suspension period wherein he will be paid subsistence allowance as per rule.

Police said Jena, in his forties, hails from Odisha and is absconding.

The varsity’s action against Jena followed sustained protests by the students seeking action against the professor.

Students intensified their protests by blocking the entrance gate of the varsity on Wednesday.

The complaint

Three girl students who lodged the FIR with the university police outpost in Silchar on May 4 have claimed that Jena has “consistently engaged in unethical, defamatory, sexually explicit and mentally harassing behaviour” towards the students.

The complaint claimed that on various occasions, including April 23 and 28, Jena under the pretext of individual or group meetings used his authority “to coerce, manipulate, threaten and make sexually explicit, vulgar and defamatory remarks about us (students), our faculty, and fellow students.”