‘Sexual harassment charge against GBU prof not under purview of physical assault’

Noida: A report by the internal complaints committee (ICC) has said allegations of sexual harassment levelled by a PhD student against a Gautam Buddha University (GBU) professor did not fall under the purview of physical assault.
The university, however, will form another committee to implement the recommendations of the ICC. Until then, the professor will be barred from heading his department
"The ICC report highlights that the act of sexual harassment, as alleged by the PhD student, does not fall under the purview of physical assault," the GBU registrar said on Monday.The ICC was set up by the university after a written complaint was submitted by the PhD scholar's sister on June 10.
An FIR was registered against the professor on Sept 18 after the PhD scholar accused him of sexual harassment in June. A complaint submitted by the woman's family members at Ecotech 2 police station claimed the professor, who is also the dean of the department where she was completing her degree, had called her to his office on June 8 and used "obscene words" and behaved with "indecency".
According to the ICC report, the PhD scholar's signature on some forms related to an international seminar was missing, so the dean called her to his office on June 8 and asked her to sign the document. However, she did not have a pen, and the conversation escalated.
The report said the complainant's statement mentioned that the professor told her that "she must be able to insert a 6-inch one", which allegedly were vulgar words, however, the word "mobile" was later added to the sentence.
The professor, in his statement before the committee, clarified that he had told the student that "pen and book are the ornaments and pride of a student and teacher, you should also keep a pen along with a mobile in your pocket".
The ICC report states the student and two of her associates, also did not abide by the university's rules in their research discourse. "Due to this the quality of the research work also seems to be affected. If the university wants, another independent academic committee can be formed to check the seriousness and progress of the research of the said students. Because the related subject matter does not come under the purview of the internal complaint committee and the committee cannot take cognizance of it," the registrar said. However, the report stated, "The use of such indecent words by the dean, while discharging his official duties, is unacceptable".
"The university will form a committee to implement the recommendations of the ICC, and until then the accused professor will be barred from his role of dean in the respective department," the GBU management said.