FIR against Jamia professor for sexual assault

Deputy commissioner of police (southeast) Esha Pandey said an FIR was registered at the Jamia Nagar police station on Wednesday under Indian Penal Code section 509

Delhi Police have registered a first information report (FIR) against an assistant professor at Jamia Millia Islamia after he was accused of sexually harassing a student.

The professor had been suspended with immediate effect following the complaint by the student as well as sufficient evidence on record.

Deputy commissioner of police (southeast) Esha Pandey said an FIR was registered at the Jamia Nagar police station on Wednesday under Indian Penal Code section 509 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman). “We registered the FIR based on the victim’s statement,” said Pandey.

The FIR was filed after the university suspended S Veeramani, who teaches at the Department of Management Studies at the Faculty of Management Studies. In a notification on Tuesday, registrar Nazim Husain Jafri said the university’s internal complaints committee (ICC) was conducting an enquiry into Veeramani’s alleged “misconduct”.

“The Professor has committed sexual harassment at the workplace which constitutes serious misconduct,” the notification said, adding that he had been suspended with immediate effect following the complaint by the student as well as sufficient evidence on record.

“During the suspension period, he shall not leave the headquarters without prior approval of the Competent Authority,” read the notification.

Veeramani couldn’t be reached for comment despite calls and messages.