BENGALURU: The 109-year-old Indian Institute of Science follows a strict policy when it comes to sexual harassment cases. The institute had fired professor S Durgappa over charges of sexual harassment in 2016. The case ran into troubled waters when the professor filed a case under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the institute’s director, claiming that the sexual harassment complaint was orchestrated by the management.
After he was dismissed from the Centre for Sustainable Technologies, an FIR was filed at the Sadashivnagar Police Station against five members, including the director of the institute. Durgappa accused them of orchestrating a sexual harassment case against a Dalit faculty member, and subsequently dismissing him without launching an inquiry.
The FIR was filed against IISc director Prof Anurag Kumar, registrar Raja Rajan and three faculty members from the Centre – Chankya H, Sudhakar Rao and Venkatarama Reddy.
Durgappa withdrew the complaint later.
Professors at IISc said that the case involving Madras was investigated under the service rules of the Central government, which also governs disciplinary action against IISc employees for sexual misconduct. Removal from service figures among the most stringent penalties imposed if the charge of sexual harassment is found true.