BHU PROF. LODGES PLAINT AGAINST DEAN

A dalit professor at the prestigious Banaras Hindu University (BHU) has accused the dean of arts faculty of misbehaving with her and making casteist remarks. Devendra Singh, station officer of Lanka police station in Varanasi, said that an FIR has been lodged against the accused dean under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for misbehavior and issuing threats. According to reports, professor S. Nerlikar of the Journalism and Mass Communication department alleged that the arts faculty dean, Pankaj Kumar, misbehaved with her and made some derogatory remarks with a casteist slur. She said that she informed the BHU proctor but when no action was taken, she approached the police. The station officer said that an investigation had been launched and action would be taken after the probe was complete. Pankaj Kumar, however, rubbished the allegations and said that the complainant was absent on the very first day of the new academic session and was now irked with him because he had marked her absent in the register.