KANPUR/ GUWAHATI: An overseas girl student levelled allegations of “inappropriate conduct” against a faculty member, prompting the IIT-Kanpur to remove him from teaching responsibilities, the institute said on Tuesday.“Last week, a complaint was filed by a girl student against a faculty member for inappropriate conduct,” the institution said in a statement.
“The internal complaints committee of the institute started investigations under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act following the Supreme Court guidelines... Immediately, on recommendations of the panel, the faculty member was removed from teaching responsibilities of the course in which the girl student was registered,” the institute said.
Deputy director Manindra Agrawal refused to disclose the nationality of the student. “In order to protect the identity of the complainant as required by the law, the institute requests everyone, including media, to exercise restraint and not to reveal any details about the complainant,” the statement added.
In Assam, a professor of the Assam Agricultural University (AAU) was also suspended for allegedly sexually harassing a student seeking admission to a post-graduate programme.
An order issued on Monday by the Registrar of AAU, in Upper Assam’s Jorhat, said: “Dr Jyoti Kumar Gogoi, a professor in the Department of Agriculture Economics and Farm Management, is placed under suspension with immediate effect on the charge of misconduct.”
In her complaint lodged with the chairperson of the AAU’s Women’s Harassment Cell on September 6, the student alleged that she was sexually harassed by the teacher on the pretext of showing the availability of seats. “When I went to Dr Jyoti Gogoi today (September 6) regarding seat availability for third counselling in master’s degree, he tried to sexually harass me in his cabin. The actions were — first, he called me by his side to see the seats available on his desktop. Then, he held my back and touched my cheeks and suddenly, kissed me...” she wrote in her complaint.
Prof suspended for harassment in Assam
In Assam, a professor of the Assam Agricultural University was also suspended for allegedly sexually harassing a student seeking admission to a post-graduate programme