Though an inquiry has been launched into the allegation that Cochin Medical College principal R. Gireesan watched pornographic material on his computer, the issue is most likely to be governed by a set of official rules of the college.
“The medical college governed by Cooperative Academy of Professional Education has its own set of service rules that are similar to the Kerala State Service Rules,” said P.G.R. Pillai, chief medical adviser of the medical college and a member of the inquiry committee.
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The governing rule in the issue would be that office time and office equipment are expected to be used for the welfare of the college and the people associated with it, he said
The inquiry committee, formed to probe into the allegations made by the students’ union, will submit its report next week.
The office computer which has been kept in safe custody of the police was likely to be brought to the college on Saturday when experts arrive, said medical director Raju Antony. No case had been filed with regard to the issue, he said.
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The act of watching pornography during office hours was not likely to invite any IPC charge as it would only be akin to reading an obscene book or a pornographic magazine, said N.S. Gopalakrishnan, senior faculty, School of Legal Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology and director, Inter University Centre for IPR Studies.
“The office of a principal of a medical college is a public space as the public has access to it, but whether watching a film in the room would call for any offence is debatable,” said Mr. Gopalakrishnan. He said an investigation was needed to ascertain if the act could be interpreted as displaying pornography in public.