Inquiry clears Jamia professor accused of harassment, he joins duty

Hafeez Ahmad, who heads the Applied Arts department, was sent on leave in February after students protested against him for two weeks and demanded his removal. He was on leave over allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct by at least six complainants.

Six months after he was sent on leave over allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct by at least six complainants, professor Hafeez Ahmad from Jamia Millia Islamia’s Faculty of Fine Arts joined the university on Friday, after he was given a clean chit by an internal inquiry committee.

Ahmad, who heads the Applied Arts department, was sent on leave in February after students protested against him for two weeks and demanded his removal. (HT file photo)

Students had written to the internal complaints committee (ICC), accusing the professor of making sexually coloured remarks, discrimination, and posing personal questions, among others. Under the Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act, 2013, universities are supposed to constitute the ICC to look into redressal of sexual harassment complaints.

“The ICC did not find any sufficient material to substantiate the allegations and recommended a strict warning to Hafeez to follow decorum in future. Hafeez was on leave till the culmination of the inquiry. Now, the inquiry is over and he has joined work,” registrar AP Siddiqui said, in response to queries emailed by Hindustan Times.

Ahmad, who heads the Applied Arts department, was sent on leave in February after students protested against him for two weeks and demanded his removal.

Students, however, complained that even though Ahmad has joined work, they are yet to get a copy of the inquiry report. As per rules, the ICC is mandated to conduct the inquiry within 90 days of the complaint(s) and both parties (complainants and respondents) should receive a copy of the report. Several students said they had not received any report as yet.

ICC chairperson Sabiha Anjum Zaidi said the committee is required to send the report to the university which then has to provide a copy to both parties.

Regarding the status of the report, Siddiqui said, “All necessary action is in the process and will be done in due course of time.”

Professor Ahmad refused comment and said the administration is the competent authority to speak on the issue.