MADURAI : A day after an inquiry was initiated into a sexual harassment complaint against two staff members of the Madurai Kamaraj University (MKU), the complaint was withdrawn on Wednesday. A student of MKU had accused the dean and an associate professor of the Department of Management Studies of sexual harassment, and lodged a complaint with the All Women Police Station, Samayanallur.
Based on her complaint, the AWPS police conducted an inquiry with the higher officials of the university, the dean, and officials of the department concerned. Summons were issued to the accused dean of the department, and he was asked to come to the station for further inquiry. On Wednesday, however, the student withdrew her complaint.
University sources in the higher levels have alleged that the accused dean has faced complaints before, for allegedly verbally abusing his students and the staff. But, this is the first time that a student has lodged a complaint with the AWPS, added the sources, noting that the girl has not lodged any complaint with the university's Internal Complaints Committee.
TNIE tried to contact Registrar (in-charge) M Ramakrishnan several times, but to no avail. Senior police officials have said that both the complainant and the accused dean belong to the same community, and that the dean made every effort since Tuesday to get the student to withdraw the petition. On Wednesday, the student went to the station to withdraw the complaint, and cited that the dean was her relative, and that a compromise had been struck within the family.