Sexual abuse: Varsity told to provide complaint details to prof

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court had passed an order to the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) of Bharathiyar University, Coimbatore, to furnish a copy of the sexual harassment complaints raised against a professor by two women assistant professors of the University.

Justice Abdul Quddhose passed the orders on disposing of the petition filed by Professor A Manimekalan who is facing the charges.

The petitioner prayed for a direction to quash the communication dated January 30 made by the University to him to offer his remarks with regard to the sexual harassment complaint given by the complainants within seven days.

The petitioner submitted through his counsel that the communication by the University should be quashed since the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) has been constituted and the first respondent being the employer has no role to play.

Recording the submissions, the judge held that the Internal Complaints Committee on February 14 had sent the communication to the petitioner asking him to attend the hearing of the Internal Complaints Committee meeting and therefore the University need not separately ask for an explanation.

“The Internal Complaints Committee of the University shall furnish a copy of the sexual harassment complaint dated June 08, 2022, as well as other documents based on which the said complaint has been given by complainants, before the next hearing date of the Internal Complaints Committee meeting,” the judge ordered and indicated that the committee shall follow the procedure prescribed under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act.