A special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to probe the sexual harassment charges brought by a research scholar from the Scheduled Caste community a week ago. Another complaint of the same nature brought by a faculty member, a foreigner, would be probed too, senior police officers said. Two complaints being filed in a week, a team comprising the circle officer Kankhal, Ranipur Inspector and the police station in-charge are probing them.
The researcher from Gujarat had filed a complaint, stating that she had been a student of the Centre of Nanotechnology since 2015. She alleged that a professor had been harassing her sexually for the past two years both physically and mentally. The professor had also made her video, she alleged, and tormented her by raising casteist slurs against her. The research scholar further alleged that she was not being allowed to enter the laboratory on account of her being from the SC community by other PhD guides as well. The atrocities going beyond of her tolerance level, she had lodged a complaint with the internal complaints committee but to no avail, she complained and added that her fellowship had also been withheld for the past one year.
In her statement, the research scholar is said to have told the police that a murder attempt had also been made on her on December 14 when she was going to have a cup of tea. As per sources, she alleged that two-bike borne persons had attempted to strangle her with a scarf they were holding in their hands. However, they had fled after the security guards had approached them, the scholar is believed to have informed police.
Quizzed over the matter, SSP Haridwar Ridhim Agarwal said on Mnday that they had constituted an SIT comprising CO Kankhal S K Singh, Ranipur inspector Sadhna Tyagi and Sot chowki in-charge Manisha Dhyani. “The scholar has lodged complaint against eight people, including the director, dean and her faculty members. The team would probe into the depth of the complaint lodged,” she added.
In another case, an American woman had also lodged sexual harassment complaint through email and a ten- point questionnaire had been sent to her thereafter, the SSP further said and added that they were waiting for her response.
As per police, the American national had written to the Union Ministry of human resources and also to the police headquarters here against three professors of IIT Roorkee following which the SSP had ordered probe.
It is also learnt that ASP Rachita Juyal recorded the statements of the complainant faculty member and the alleged harassment had happened over a year ago. The foreign national was on deputation and her teaching period ended after one year, police said. They further said that she had lodged sexual harassment complaint by three professors during her deputation at the institute. The faculty members, however, had alleged that since her deputation was not extended with others in the group being favoured with the same, she had started raising wild allegations against them.