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PU dental student accuses associate professor of sexual harassment
The associate professor, who has been on leave since the complaint was filed, said that there has been a misunderstanding in the case and they are trying to solve it.
A final year female student of Harvansh Singh Judge Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Panjab University (PU), has accused an associate professor of sexually assaulting her at the department. The allegations of sexual harassment are against associate professor (orthodontics) Dr Deviner Preet Singh.
Complaint forwarded to PUCASH
The student had submitted a written complaint to vice-chancellor Arun Kumar Grover last week following which the complaint was forwarded to Panjab University committee against sexual harassment (PUCASH) for further action.The vice-chancellor confirmed the development.
According to the complaint, the professor had held her in the room when she went to the department.
‘Just a misunderstanding’
The associate professor, who has been on leave since the complaint was filed, said that there has been a misunderstanding in the case and they are trying to solve it. “This is just a misunderstanding and nothing else and we are trying to solve it,” said Dr Devinder.
He added, “She had come for a check up in the department and I was trying to tell her what has happened as some complications were occurring. She is a chronic asthmatic patient. We are trying to solve the misunderstanding,” he repeated.
This is the second sexual harassment case against a PU professor, after the assistant professor Komal Singh, former chairperson of the public administration department, who was suspended on being found guilty of sexual harassment for the fourth time, in 2015. A post graduate student had alleged that Singh had indulged in verbal misbehaviour with her.
Complaint against V-C still pending
Meanwhile, the sexual harassment complaint against the vice-chancellor by a varsity’s fellow remains a talking point till date. It has been over two years since a sexual harassment complaint was filed against Prof Arun Kumar Grover, but despite over a dozen senate and syndicate meetings of the university, the matter remains stuck as a probe committee is yet to be formed.
At yet another senate meeting held on February 17, to finalise names for the reconstituted sexual harassment committee, members had demanded an independent committee, saying a member of the National commission for Women (NCW) should be a part of it.
