Jadavpur University female student accuses professor of sexual harassment

KOLKATA: A first-year postgraduate female student of Jadavpur University has accused a senior faculty member of sexually harassing her during an ongoing semester examination. In an email sent to JU Registrar Snehamanju Basu on Wednesday night, the student expressed apprehension that the accused teacher, a former head of the department, might harm her academic career.

Copies of the mail were sent to the UGC chairman, state women's commission chairperson and Jadavpur police station. Basu told PTI that she has received the mail and forwarded it to the internal inquiry complaint committee for a speedy and impartial probe. A copy of the mail was made available to PTI on Thursday.

The Journalism and Mass Communication department student alleged that the accused teacher got her “uncomfortably frisked in front of male students” during the first-semester examination recently alleging she was cheating but, she claimed, nothing was found. The professor also allegedly forced her to leave the exam hall midway during the second examination, but the current head of the department allowed her to complete her papers after some time. The woman, hailing from Midnapore, also named two final year male students of her department, who allegedly told her to "give favours" to the senior faculty member. The accused teacher was not available for comment.

Jadavpur University Teachers' Association (JUTA) General Secretary Partha Pratim Roy told PTI that according to information available with the teachers' body, the student was caught by a lady invigilator while resorting to unfair means during a test. Describing her claims as "shocking and scary", Roy said JUTA wants a prompt investigation into the complaint. “The invigilator on duty had herself called the HoD and other senior faculty members to the exam hall. The accused professor then went there… If such charges are levelled against invigilators, we will think twice about continuing that duty,” he said.