Rohtak, May 31: A case of sexual harassment has been registered against Prof Dheeraj Sharma, Director, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) here, on the basis of a complaint lodged by a former woman assistant professor at the institute.
The former assistant professor, who was terminated from service on May 10, has alleged that she was harassed by the Director continuously after she joined the institute in September 2017.
The complainant has stated that Prof Sharma, who was her reporting authority, subjected her to continuous sexual harassment at workplace ever since her joining.
“During an interaction, he started talking about extra-marital relationship, expressed his openness about the same and asked her views regarding this. He passed objectionable comment and vulgar taunt related to my private sex life. He also proposed to go on night walks,” she alleged, adding that the said proposal was also part of his overtures to coerce her into submission to his lewd desires.
The complainant alleged that she was physically molested by the Director, upon which she pushed him away.
“At this, he said what I had done would not be good for my career…He explicitly threatened to take things against me if I did not listen to him…On March 9, he approached me and explained that I anyway owe him more loyalty also because he had given me the job. He said I would be more open as he wanted to develop a mutually beneficial relationship so that I can advance in my career,” she alleged.
The complainant said as she did not agree to his illicit demands, his behavior changed and he started insulting her and inflicting mental stress whenever he got the slightest opportunity.
Based on the complaint, the police booked Prof Sharma under Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman to outrage her modesty) and 354-A (sexual harassment) of the IPC.
The Director could not be contacted despite repeated attempts. Later, an official statement released on behalf of the IIM-Rohtak maintained that the said assistant professor had been terminated from service and was doing this to defame the Director and the institute. “This is all an afterthought,” the statement added.
Women police station SHO Garima said statement of the complainant had been recorded before a Magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC. “We have telephonically contacted the Director, who is out of station. He has been asked to join investigation,” she said.
It may be pertinent to mention that two MPs had recently alleged irregularities in the appointment of the IIM-Rohtak Director and sought an inquiry into the matter.
