VILLUPURAM: A graduate in medicine doing her compulsory rotatory residential internship recently levelled sexual harassment charges against an assistant professor in the Government Villupuram Medical College and Hospital here. She lodged a complaint with the Dean and sent a copy to the Director of Medical Education and vice-chancellor of the Dr MGR University, Chennai.
In her complaint, the 21-year-old claimed that on October 22, an assistant professor from the Department of Surgery had been touching her inappropriately on multiple occasions while she was on duty.
The girl’s father said she sounded disturbed when he spoke to her that day, adding that he heard about the incident a couple of days later through her close friend. The girl filed the complaint with the Dean and university officials on Oct 25, co-signed by 32 batch mates. “Nothing has been done. We suspect the officials are trying to protect the accused,” he alleged.
For her part, hospital dean Dr Vanithamani said the complaint was forwarded to the college anti-sexual harassment committee and a four-member team would conduct an inquiry with the assistant professor on Monday. “Strict action will be taken against the accused if the charges are proved, but if charges are proved false then the student will face action,” she said.