When several senior officials rushed to the Maharani College for Arts, Commerce and Management for Women to probe allegations of sexual assault against the faculty, what left them stumped was the bickering among the teaching staff.
A source privy to the investigation said that the allegations were serious but nothing was submitted in writing. “We were surprised to see faculty members make serious allegations against each other. They should know that each allegation will be probed,” a source said.
Also, though students had made allegations of sexual assault against six lecturers on Monday when the Committee on Prevention of Sexual Violence against Women and Children visited the college, they did not want to lodge police complaints.
Commissioner of Department of Collegiate Education (DCE) M.N. Ajay Nagabhushan said that the inquiry would be carried out by Bengaluru Urban Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer V. Manjushree. It would focus on the sexual harassment charges as well as security lapses in the hostel.
Any student of the college can submit a statement to Ms. Manjushree.
Principal R. Shanta Kumari said that the college would cooperate with the inquiry.
On Monday, the DCE had suspended Professor Begur Ramalingappa on the charge of sexual assault and another lecturer Prasanna Kumar for spreading this information on the campus.
