14 September,2024 07:00 AM IST | Mumbai | Prasun Choudhari
An MBBS student complained that the associate professor touched her inappropriately. Representation Pic
An associate professor at a civic-run hospital in Mumbai has been suspended following allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by a MBBS student there. The case has now been transferred to the complaints committee of the Savitribai Phule Women's Resource Centre, which operates under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters. The investigation committee will submit its findings after a thorough inquiry, and any further actions will be taken based on the committee's conclusions, as confirmed by the BMC administration.
BMC speak
"Given the severity of the allegations and the preliminary evidence found during the investigation, the administration decided to suspend the accused professor. Further action will be determined based on the findings of the headquarters-level committee," the BMC said in a statement. After the student filed an official complaint against the associate professor, the hospital's internal Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Committee and the Savitribai Phule Women's Resource Centre both took cognisance of the matter and began their probe.
The POSH committee report states: "The associate professor from the pharmacology department at a civic-run hospital has been found guilty in the sexual harassment complaint filed by an MBBS student⦠The complainant also being an athlete, the professor called her in his cabin and asked multiple questions regarding the sports she is pursuing. Later on Saturday, the complainant was again called in the professor's cabin and under the pretext of checking the lymph node, [he] touched her behind her ear on the neck. She was asked to remove her apron and the professor also kept his hand on her shoulder and also questioned about a black mark on the complainant's lips making [her] uncomfortable." The report added that the complainant had narrated the incident to her friend, who later testified during the probe.
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âIssue warning to dean'
The POSH panel's report further discloses, "The role of the dean of the civic-run hospital appears unfortunate and insensitive. The dean created hurdles in the implementation of the law... did not cooperate in the proceedings of the case and delayed the implementation of orders given by his superiors. Therefore a written warning should be issued to him." The committee has also given restraining directions to ensure that complainant's education is not affected by the case. The panel ordered that a report be submitted, along with relevant documents, within 15 days to prove that the directions have been followed.
