A 28-year-old research scholar of Bharathiar University on Thursday submitted a complaint with the police in the office of the Coimbatore Superintendent of Police Coimbatore on Thursday, alleging sexual harassment by the Head of the Department (HoD).
The student, who is a widow, claimed that the HoD demanded intimate favours and money from her for forwarding the synopsis of her Ph.D. thesis to the university.
The girl, who was a gold medallist in her postgraduation, enrolled for the Ph.D. as a full-time scholar in the university in 2010. She said she could not continue research due to ill health, followed by the death of her husband in 2013. She approached the Vice-Chancellor and was allowed to continue her Ph.D. from March this year on humanitarian grounds.
She alleged that the HoD, R. Saravana Selvan, refused to forward her thesis till she met his demands.
She raised the issue with university authorities but the official who inquired her allegedly asked her to ‘adjust’ with the HoD.
She added that six other girls who the HoD was guiding for the Ph.D. changed their guide as they were unable to bear his harassment. Based on her petition, Vadavalli Police conducted a preliminary inquiry.
Meanwhile, Mr. Saravana Selvan claimed that it was an organised conspiracy by the research scholar and a few staff members of the department who were unhappy over his elevation as a syndicate member.
He said that he did not forward the synopsis as she had very poor attendance.
He said that he raised the issue with the authorities concerned and lodged a complaint in June, seeking an inquiry into the role of four persons, including the Ph.D. scholar, for spreading rumours of sexual harassment against him.
He claimed that the girl was trying to blackmail him in a bid to complete her Ph.D. ahead of time.
Vice-Chancellor C. James Pitchai told newsmen that a committee comprising syndicate members, a dean and three women professors had been formed to inquire into the allegations.
A statement from Registrar K.G. Senthilvasan claimed that the charges against the HoD were found to be false.
The statement added that the woman regretted for raising the issue and wanted to continue her doctoral research.
Student protests
On Friday, research scholars of the English Department staged a protest demanding that the research scholar apologise in public and in front of media. V. David, a research scholar, said that the woman’s apology should be in public so that the damage caused to Mr. Selvan’s reputation was undone, at least to some extent.
Meanwhile, a group of students under the banner of Bharathiar University Students’ Federation, demanded the immediate arrest of Mr. Selvan.
They also urged the university administration to dismiss him from service and the suspension of faculty Jayakumar, the other person named in the woman’s complaint.
The research scholar’s father said that his daughter had arrived at a compromise considering her future. (With input from Karthik Madhavan)
The HOD claims that it is an organised conspiracy by the research scholar and a few staff members
