The Union Home Ministry has made it clear Visva Bharati University vice-chancellor Sushanta Dattagupta who is yet to be cleared of allegations of “sexual harassment” has not been awarded Padmi Shri. The Ministry has stated this in reply to a query under the Right to Information Act, 2005 to professor Nilanjan Banerjee.
“Prof. Sushanta Dattagupta has not been awarded with Padma Shri. No communication was sent to Prof. Dattagupta to receive the Padma award by any official of the Ministry of Home Affairs,” reads the reply send to Prof. Banerjee earlier this month.
The investiture ceremony for Padma awardees was held on March 31 and April 26, the reply added.
A woman scientist at the Satyendra Nath Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS) had charged Prof. Dattagupta of sexually harassing her when he was director of the institute in 2004. The academician however had denied the charges and said that allegations against him were motivated and levelled by section of those in the University against whom he had acted upon.
The announcement of the conferment of the honours to Mr. Dattagupta in the field of Science and Engineering had drawn sharp criticism from several quarters.
