NLUJAA Guwahati vice-chancellor (VC) Prof JS Patil has vociferously denied and said he filed a counter-FIR over a sexual harassment FIR that had been reportedly been filed against him by neighbours, as first reported by local print (in Assamese) and TV news (see image above, in Assamese).

Update 26 July 2020, 14:28: Patil has retracted parts of the below statement and gone on temporary leave, saying: “I retract the statement that I have filed FIR against the person with due permission of superior authorities. Rather I have filed FIR on my own accord. I also retract my statement that the statement that the Chancellor has advised me to continue in office. I am going on leave until the matter is cleared.”

When we asked Patil for comment, he also noted that he had the support of the university’s chancellor, Gauhati High Court chief justice Ajai Lamba, and that the allegations in the FIR, as well as other historical allegations that he had used harassing language with female faculty members, had all been made to “tarnish the image of me and my University”.

The allegations and FIR

The FIR against Patil had reportedly been filed under sections Sections 294, 354A and 509 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which cover obscene acts, sexual harassment and words or acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman.

A Google translation of the above Prag News article notes that the origin of the complaint, or at least its first surfacing, was that a “Facebook post has revealed” the alleged “misdeeds” of the VC.

There are two Facebook posts, which we have seen and understand from independent sources to have been posted by a neighbour of Patil’s in his own name, around last Sunday.

We understand, however, that those posts were also quickly deleted but we have not been able to authoritatively corroborate why.

Those Facebook posts had alleged that Patil had exposed himself to the neighbour’s female family members (see image below).

According to the Prag News report, the police is now investigating the matter (via Google translate):

Meanwhile, the North Guwahati (Gauripur) police has filed a complaint against the vice-chancellor for showing his genitals with more than 30 signatures from the local Rise. In this regard, a complaint has been lodged under IPC 354A / 294/509 under the Indian Penal Code at North Guwahati (Gauripur) Police Station No. 388/20.

Bar & Bench reported yesterday, citing local news reports, that 18 women had jointly filed the FIR, while a separate complaint had also been filed by advocate and NLUJAA alumnus Anjanav Kumar Gogoi, asking the police to investigate the matter and find out the “real fact behind the story”, either way.

Gogoi’s letter to a Guwahati police station noted:

It has directly harmed and deteriorated the reputation of the prestigious University. Strictest action should be taken against the person, whosever is found guilty. If such allegation is found fake or made with a hidden motive, then all such persons behind the act should be also booked and put behind the bars.

VC Patil strongly rebuts allegations

Update 26 July 2020, 14:28: Patil has retracted parts of the below statement and gone on temporary leave.

“It is false,” Patil told us in a message today when we asked him for comment. “I have filed FIR against the person with due permission of superior authorities.”

He added: “It is to tarnish the image of me and my University. We have resolved to fight it and get justice.”

We understand that there also exist allegations from several independent sources that Patil had in the past used sexist language in talking to female faculty members.

“That is also absolutely wrong,” responded Patil, when we put those allegations to him. “This is a plan to make me leave the University. The Chancellor knows that I am strict and therefore people are making these allegations.

“He is seized of the matter and advised me to file FIR which I have already done. He has also advised me to continue in office.”

Update: Faculty members file complaint

Update 26 July 2020: Several faculty members of NLUJAA have also written to the Assam State Commission of Women with the below complaint.