Bathinda, March 28: Hundreds of students of Central University of Punjab, Bathinda campus, on Tuesday came out in the open against the university authorities for not acting in a case of sexual harassment of a female student of the university.
Raising slogans, the students alleged that Prof Deepak Kumar Chauhan, faculty member of the Department of Law of the university who was also a member of the Gender Sensitisation and Committee against Sexual Harassment, used derogatory language against the victim in front of her friend.
The protesting students alleged that they had brought the matter to the attention of Vice-Chancellor Prof RK Kohli, but no action was taken against the faculty member.“A day after a female student was harassed by cook Arvind in the mess of the university on February 27, a friend of the victim was called by the member of the committee Prof Deepak Kumar Chauhan.
He made derogatory comments against the victim and also against the state of Punjab. The victim’s friend has also testified against the teacher in front of the VC. We were promised action against the teacher, but nothing has been done for a month now,” the students said.
The faculty member denied the allegations levelled against him.
Demanding the removal of Dr Chauhan from all the committees related to students’ affairs, the students also demanded that the Gender Sensitisation and Committee against Sexual Harassment be reconstituted as per UGC norms in which inclusion of students in the committee is a must.
The students gheraoed the VC following which he assured them that a special committee would be constituted to look into the matter and the university would take action by April 25.
He also assured that three students would be made members of the committee to maintain transparency in the probe.Meanwhile, the police have not been able to arrest cook Arvind against whom a case was registered at Kotfatta police station on March 20. After the incident, the cook had been dismissed by the university.
Source: Tribune India
