NUJS Kolkata’s executive council (EC) has rejected its internal sexual harassment committee’s (ICC) observation that allegedly lewd messages sent by one staff member to another were in fact “expressions of romantic interest and love” and were “not sexual in nature”, reported the Telegraph, noting that the Calcutta high court yesterday rejected the accused staff member’s anticipatory bail plea.
The three-member ICC comprises of associate professors Anirban Mazumdar and TVGNS Sudhakar and assistant professor Ruchira Goswami. The ICC made its observation in an interim report submitted to the EC four days after expiry of the 90-day statutory period for submitting final findings under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013.
The EC rejected the report because it was submitted with Sudhakar’s dissenting note, and also because it held there was no provision for an interim report under the law. It has given the committee time to file the final findings “within a few weeks”, said Sudhakar.
Sudhakar told Legally India that he dissented with the majority opinion because “it was fundamentally unreasonable and not at all acceptable”.
He said that he became a part of the ICC on 16 August after his predecessor in the committee, Prof Manoj Kumar Sinha, left to assume directorship of the Indian Law Institute Delhi. He told Legally India that the reason for delay by the committee in submitting any findings was lack of cooperation from the respondent and the failure of the victim to bring any witnesses until the last day before the committee submitted interim findings.
He added that the ICC had even suggested that the accused make an appearance online over Skype but he disagreed, claiming that he was without internet access. Eventually, nearing the lapse of the statutory period, the victim brought a list of witnesses and the committee decided to keep the inquiry pending and submit interim findings in the meantime.
Sudhakar said that the ICC would now begin examination of the victim’s list of witnesses, and would also decide on a way to examine the accused since a chargesheet for his arrest was being framed after rejection of his bail application.
Advocate Pheroze Edulji, who is representing the victim in her criminal complaint in the matter, told the Telegraph that the accused was “in the habit of harassing women”.
The victim had first filed her complaint on 12 June, allegedly over a year after informally bringing the issue to NUJS vice chancellor Ishwara Bhatt’s notice. After no internal hearing in her complaint at the law school for 43 days, she filed a criminal complaint at the Bidhannagar police station in Kolkata against the accused. The law school suspended the accused on 10 August, for non-cooperation in the ICC’s inquiry against him.
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1. The lady faculty member who orchestrate the ICC actions, the mouth piece of the accused and instructs the gullible (?) VC
2. All but one of the ICC member, who apparently could not be bought by the clout of the accused
3. The person who was operating the accused's email from within the campus itself while accused remain fugitive
4. The person who instructs the lawyer
It doesn't require rocket science to identify the person who fits category numbers 1,3 and 4 and she revealed herself to police by visiting the Investigation Officer to badmouth the complainant. Still Calcutta police prefers to search for the 'black cat in the dark room that is not there.'
Whatever has been commented is true. In one of my comments I mentioned about two women Faculty who is shouting on behalf of the accused. All in NUJS knows them. What is their vested interest ? Let Kian / Prachi make an investigation
bigger laughing stock is SJA, hijacked by a bunch of spineless students who are chelas of the admin. the reason why the admin gets away with murder is bcoz they know SJA has no guts.
Dude, post her name on facebook. I am sure people will keep sharing it and that's how the world, including me, will come to know about HER. If you cannot, take you scared buttock away from here and stop pestering Kian.
IIRC the scam was discovered in 2004 when the Registrar, a Machiavellian lady of [...] and good political connections was 'suddenly' found to have ownership of a bunch of expensive flats in a new real estate project called Silver Springs. How she had the money to buy those flats on a govt teacher's salary no one knew. There was some hush-hush internal enquiry which was never made public but as a fallout she was asked to leave in disgrace since the evidence was apparently too damning for her to continue. Just as well for the university as that put a stop to her cronyism and nepotism which led to a few students getting substantial benefits over others.
Quoting scooper:
Dear Watergate
Thanks for the comments. I have been making similar comments for a long time. Unfortunately I was pointed out aggrieved Faculty . As far as I know , already the scam in NUJS is under the investigation by the competent authority of the Country. It's a matter of time for the BIG FISH to be caught
Criticism is being leveled by certain uninformed persons in faculty and student body who think only speaking good English make someone great.
This issue in which [X] and [Y] are involved and is the context of this reply does not have much to do with english speaking abilities. As far as abilities to speak English is concerned, both of them transact fairly well in english.
[Y], put herself in poor light by absolutely turning around from the position she initially took in the issue of sexual harassment. To put the records straight, [Y] was one of the first persons, the complainant approached given her apparent sensitivity towards gender issues. She heard and even saw the same mails that is now turned out to be benign romantic expressions. She in fact took offense of such materials and suggested the complainant to lodge official complaint. The turn around she did later, if based on any further evidences or knowledge would have been fully justified, had the accused given his defense and adduced some evidence to prove himself right. The interim report lacks anything even remote to establish the innocence of the accused. On the other hand has clear evidences of the number of mails and advances that has been done by the accused. [...]
[X] has lot to protect, including his position in NUJS. It is told that [...] played pivotal role in hushing up adverse proceedings against [X] being in the position of the [...], Administration and also the agenda setter and minutes recorder of EC. So for [X], it is a question of his existence.
Besides this, works the agenda against the Registrar. In the power play between the VC and Registrar, [X] and [Z] has placed themselves opportunistically with the VC and [...] is a mere pawn in this aspect. [...]
Since you have not mentioned about [Z], specific interests of her in the issue is not made in this reply. The name but had to be taken as in the matters mentioned, reference about her had to be made incidentally due to her intricate involvement.
Dear Kian/ Prachi
Can you feel the heat in NUJS? All along I have been making comments on NUJS. Those comments were not fake ...... Soon the truth will come out. If you cannot do , do not worry I will do and for your information 70% has been done already......
As you all are eminent journalist working for legal education , I hope by this time you know what has happened in NUJS........
What is this IB doing? He is supposed to be the head of the institution. But can a head really be supported without a spine!
What is UGC , MHRD , BCI doing to protect LEGAL EDUCATION in NUJS. Why doesn't UGC withdraw the clause f and stop also grants in NUJS. Why BCI is not withdrawing the permanent affiliation that was granted to NUJS.
Why legal proceedings and charge sheet is not initiated against MPS and IB ?
Proper investigation needs to be done to stop all the nonsensical activities going on.
PIB is allowing few of his favourite faculty members to bypass the Registrar in several important issues.. Why would this continue to happen... only because the Registrar is standing up for a genuine cause... Really worried about the welfare of the Institution...Is anybody listening???????????????
My completely personal opinion is that compared to women, men have it so easy in most societies that when they cry about being disadvantaged, I just kinda zone out. As far as I can see all arguments in the men's rights movement are pretty facile and easily debunked. Happy for you to prove otherwise.
And feel free to critique feminism in your comments, but if it's veering into mysoginism or victim blaming, as this stuff often does, don't be surprised if we censor those bits.
Best wishes,
Kian
Quoting kianganz:
Dear Kian
Please give your response on the comment. Why are u silent for such a long time?
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