The Gujarat higher education commissioner has written a letter to a college trust in Valsad directing them to take action against the college principal and inform them in three days with the action taken report. The senior professor of the college had filed a harassment complaint against the college principal last year.
A copy of the letter states that “a senior professor of college in Valsad, had informed the college trustees and the Vice-Chancellor of Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU) on May 23 last year about the principal physically and mentally harassing her”.
Based on the woman’s complaint, the college had formed a probe committee. The panel had found the allegations leveled on the principal “genuine” while stating that the “principal is guilty”. The university authorities in their probe had also found the accused guilty. However, despite the principal being found guilty, “no action has been taken against him so far”, said sources.
“As the complaint is genuine and the accused is found guilty under Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act 2013, the trust should take action against him and report back in three days,” said the letter.
On the basis of the allegations raised by the senior professor, the college trust had formed a five-member committee to probe. The committee submitted their report on 19 September 2023, holding the principal guilty. The same report was sent to the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar of the VNSGU. The university authorities also had probed and found allegations leveled on him were “genuine”.
The professor said, “I hope I will get justice now. Since last year, I have been waiting for action to be taken against him. I don’t want our college’s name to get tarnished… that is why I was silent. The principal has threatened that no action will be taken against him due to his influence. ”Despite attempts to contact the college trustee Kirti Desai, he remained unavailable for his remarks.
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