‘Appoint panel to probe charge against medical college dean’

The Madras High Court on Friday directed the Institute of Road Transport (IRT), Taramani, represented by its Director, to appoint an independent committee to enquire into the allegations of sexual har

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday directed the Institute of Road Transport (IRT), Taramani, represented by its Director, to appoint an independent committee to enquire into the allegations of sexual harassment against the Dean of IRT Perundurai Medical College and Hospital in Erode district.

Hearing a petition filed by one of the staff nurse of the hospital alleging sexual harassment by the Dean, Justice S M Subramaniam said, “the Director of Institute of Road Transport is directed to appoint an independent committee under Section 4 of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (prevention, prohibition, redressal) Act 2013 so as to conduct fair and free enquiry in respect of the allegations set out by the petitioner.”

“The staff nurse, who is a Dalit Christian, joined the medical college in 1996 and is presently working as a staff nurse. The Dean against whom the sexual harassment allegations are made by the above staff nurse joined as a ward doctor and used to behave indecently in the guise of visiting the patients in the ward,” counsel for the nurse M Radhakrishnan alleged.

She complained to the director on October 28, 2016. The complaint copy, which was sent to Chief Minister’s cell, was received by the Director of Medical Education after which the police recorded her statement on November 4, 2016, when she was on duty in the hospital.

It was argued by the counsel for the petitioner that though the police had given an assurance of action in accordance with law based on her complaint, no action had been taken even after a lapse of eight months.
The petitioner sought a direction from the court to direct the Director of IRT and the Director of Medical Education to constitute an internal complaints committee (ICC) as per the Act and hold an enquiry into the petitioner’s complaint.

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