Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) president Nandita Narrain did not appear before the Fact Finding Committee constituted by Delhi University, on Monday as she approached the High Court to challenge it. Delhi University had set up a fact-finding committee against the St Stephen’s Professor in order to “examine” the complaints DU has received against her from three colleges last week.
The DUTA president said that the “hurry” in which the committee was to call her clearly indicated the “malicious” nature of university’s action. “I informed them that I cannot appear today as I was in court and have sought a legal opinion. Instead of cooperating they kept on insisting that I appear before them through written communication which is insulting and derogatory,” Narrain told The Pioneer.
Narrain said the hurry with which the university was pushing her to appear before the committee indicated it to be “malicious and derogatory”. The FCC message to Narrain stated: “it takes cognisance of the unapproved absence from the appointed time for hearing you. This is a serious lapse yet the FCC is willing to grant you another opportunity to appear before it at 2 pm.” While Narrain had communicated in an email and SMS that she would not be able to appear at 11 am earlier, Narrain further did not appear before the committee at 2 pm. Narrain had requested the committee for two weeks time to gather papers for her response. The FCC had further deferred the time to 3 pm but Narrain did not show up.