Kalakshetra case: Accused asst professor Hari Padman arrested

CHENNAI: City Police on Monday arrested Hari Padman, an assistant professor in Kalakshetra foundation, two days after he was booked on sexual harassment charges based on a complaint by a former student of the institute.

Adyar AWPS (All Women Police Station) had on Friday booked a case under section 354 A (sexual harassment), 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and section 4 of the Tamil Nadu prohibition of harassment of women act against Hari Padman.

Police sources said that he was picked up from a hideout near Madhavaram.

The complainant had stated in her complaint that the faculty had sent obscene messages to her through social media and had also sexually harassed her when she was a student at the institution.

The complaint was made after days of protest at the institute demanding action against the instructors who have been accused of sexual harassment. Few hours before the complaint was made, Additional commissioner of police (south), Prem Anand Sinha had said that no criminal investigation was underway as police had not received any 'written' complaint.

On Friday, A S Kumari, Chairperson of Tamil Nadu Commission for Women met the protesting students at the institute and collected their statements. Some of the students showed WhatsApp conversations of the perpetrator crossing the line.

It is to be noted that the National Commission for Women (NCW) which initially sought police action based on media reports later withdrew their request to the DGP and decided to ‘close the matter’