The teaching community must hang their heads in collective shame. A professor from the capital’s elite St Stephen’s College has been found guilty of sexual harassment.
NEW DELHI: The teaching community must hang their heads in collective shame. A professor from the capital’s elite St Stephen’s College has been found guilty of sexual harassment.
The report of the college complaints committee (CCC), which was probing the matter, suggests that Prof CB Jha was indeed guilty of sexually harassing an American student who had come to the college last August to attend a short-term Sanskrit language course. The student, whose identity has not been revealed, had filed the complaint in December before flying back to the US.
As per college rules, the CCC under Prof Pragati Mahapatra had been asked to probe the case.
In its report, the CCC has suggested, “The annual increment of Jha should be stopped for two years. He must also tender a public apology to the student and dropped from all college panels.”
Though college authorities and Jha are silent on the matter, a source revealed, “Jha has been found guilty by the committee. The report has been submitted to the college and further action will be decided shortly.”
However, some students and even teachers feel that the penalty suggested for Jha is very mild. “If they (CCC) have found him guilty of the charges levelled against him then why don’t they suggest his suspension from service? Tendering a public apology or termination of increment is too mild,” said Abhay Raj Singh, a student.
Last October, 15 male students of the varsity’s Ramjas College had filed a similar complaint against the college’s vice-principal BN Ray. The university’s CCC ordered Ray’s suspension a few days later. Some feel that by strongly chastising Jha, DU can send a tough message against sexual harassment of students.
“Termination of service is a very strong penalty. By awarding this to the accused, DU can set a stern example,” said a professor who did not wish to be named.
y_puneet@dnaindia.net
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