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‘ICC called for transfer, but no action was taken’ in Odisha college harassment case
An Odisha college's ICC recommended transferring a professor accused of harassment, but authorities failed to act before a student’s tragic self-immolation.
An internal complaints committee (ICC) set up by an Odisha college to probe allegations of sexual harassment by a 20-year-old student recommended the transfer of the accused professor as head of the department three days
before the woman immolated herself, but the authorities didn’t act, two members of the six-member panel said on Wednesday.
The ICC set up by Fakir Mohan (Autonomous) College found no evidence of sexual harassment but said the professor had behaved in a “rude and harsh” way towards the victim that constituted harassment, members Minati Sethi and Gopamudra Mahapatra confirmed to HT.
To be sure, activists alleged that the ICC itself erred in not asking assistant professor Samir Kumar Sahoo, who headed the education department, to go on leave or follow proper norms in investigating as well as guiding the victim. HT has not seen the report.
The shocking death of the 20-year-old student, who set herself on fire on Saturday morning and succumbed to her injuries on Monday night, has sparked massive outrage across the country and prompted the University Grants Commission to set up a probe.
The victim had alleged that Sahoo was asking her for “favours” and also threatened to destroy her academic career if she did not oblige. Sahoo was arrested on July 12, and principal Dilip Ghose was arrested on Monday for attempts to shield the accused.
The student lodged a complaint with the ICC on July 1 about Sahoo allegedly seeking sexual favours from her six months ago and then allegedly torturing her by disallowing her from writing semester exams and making her stand outside the class for slight delays.
The probe began on July 3 and the report was submitted to the principal on the evening of July 9.
Minati Sethi, assistant professor of English and a member of the ICC, said the committee didn’t find evidence of sexual harassment but still recommended Sahoo’s immediate transfer as head of the department after the members were convinced that his rude behaviour towards students was unnecessarily harsh.
“The professor’s action of not allowing the victim to write the semester exam on June 30 as well as making her stand outside the class was surely harassment and it was corroborated. We had clearly written that he needs to be transferred out of the post immediately for the harassment,” said Sethi.
Sethi said proving allegations of sexual harassment by the professor was difficult as there were no eyewitnesses. “When she asked what kind of favour, Sahoo allegedly said, ‘You are not a child to understand what favour I need’. But, we could not prove this allegation. It is very difficult to gather evidence on such charges,” Sethi said.
Another member, Gopamudra Mahapatra also said the committee found instances of harassment by the professor.
However, principal Ghosh did not act upon the ICC recommendation. “The principal instead told that her allegations of harassment were false and action would be taken against her for making fake claims. She probably felt all doors had closed for her and took the extreme step. Had the principal acted on the recommendations of ICC, she would have been alive today,” a friend of the victim said, requesting anonymity.
Under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the Workplace Act, 2013, all universities and colleges must have an ICC. In 2016, UGC issued a set of regulations on the basis of the POSH Act to protect students, faculty and all other staff on campus, and laid out processes to be followed in cases of alleged sexual harassment on campuses.
An ICC needs to have an external member as well as a senior woman member as the presiding officer. CHECK.
Activists alleged that the ICC process followed by the college flouted the norms, and that the institution didn’t have a functional ICC before the woman’s complaint.
“The accused professor should have been asked to go on leave when the hearings began. As head of the department of an autonomous college, his presence surely intimidated the victim as well as other students who would have been scared to speak against him. Another issue is the college did not have a functional ICC and the once which probed the allegations was formed on the day the girl lodged the complaint. None of the members members were trained in probing allegations levelled under POSH Act and the need to counsel the victim who was in an agitated state of mind and had attempted suicide earlier,” said activist and POSH trainer, Namrata Chaddha.
“The committee should have told the girl that she had many options including lodging a case against the professor with the police. The institution simply failed the girl,” she added.
Meanwhile the Odisha government handed over the case to the state CID.
