JNU students allege harassment, corruption by prof

NEWDELHI: A group of female students of Jawaharlal Nehru University have levelled allegations of corruption and sexual harassment against a professor at the School of Life Sciences.this comes after a 26-year-old PHD student went missing after she allegedly sent an email to the professor alleging that she had been harassed by him.

The scholar, who was reported missing from JNU campus four days ago, was found on Thursday in Lucknow, police said.

A case of kidnapping was registered after her parents filed a missing person’s complaint at the Vasant Kunj North police station on March 13. “She told us she was safe and fine. We will record her statement before a magistrate to ascertain if she was abducted. If she claims she went on her own wish, we will approach the court concerned for quashing the FIR,” said Milind Dumbere, DCP (southwest).

Asked about unconfirmed reports being circulated on social media that the woman has approached Allahabad High Court seeking protection, DCP said he is unaware of any such complaint. Dumbere refused to comment on the email to the professor, where the woman allegedly called him “characterless”.

Following this, a group of current, ex students came forward alleging that the teacher in ques- tion “makes sexually coloured remarks, open demands for sex”.

They also alleged that a PHD seat was allotted to a JNU official’s wife without due process.the official, however, said that his wife had been selected by an appointed panel after process.

The professor could not be reached for comments. Rector I, Chintamani Mohapatra said as far as he knew, no written complaint against the professor had been received by administration.

REMOVAL OF DEAN, CHAIRPERSONS

A section of students and teachers condemned replacement of seven chairpersons of centres and a dean of school for alleged non compliance with JNU’S mandatory attendance. Amba Dutt Bahuguna, section officer (academic), who issued the orders, confirmed the replacements.

Kavita Singh, the dean of School of Arts and Aesthetics, said she had been replaced by professor Mazhar Asif of Centre for Persian and Central Asian Studies as the acting dean. Asif, an executive council member, corroborated the claim.

Mohapatra said a three-member committee had been formed to look into whether these persons had failed to comply with attendance mandate. “Nobody has technically been replaced, removed or terminated,” he said.

Following this, students locked down their respective centres to protest the decision.