SAMBALPUR: The authorities of Sambalpur University on Sunday suspended an assistant professor after he was accused of mentally harassing a female colleague. Registrar of the university Nruparaj Sahu said the suspension should not be regarded as punishment. It is a preventive action to stop the male teacher from influencing the investigation. The internal complaint committee of the university will inquire into the matter.
The committee will meet on Monday and take a decision on the action to be taken against the accused teacher. In May this year, the accused assistant professor was placed under suspension over an alleged dispute with a student that had taken place around five years back.
In her complaint addressed to the university vice-chancellor, the woman teacher, also an assistant professor, alleged that the accused was mentally harassing her for no reason since 2016. The accused colleague, she claimed, even came to the department in an inebriated condition during office hours.