The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has suspended a law Department professor following a complaint of sexual harassment against him by a Kashmiri girl, student of llM first year.
AMU registrar Group Captain Shahrukh Shamshad confirmed that Professor Mohammad Shabbir has been suspended on charges of misconduct following complaint by a student pursuing llM first year. A detailed inquiry has been ordered into the matter, he added.The report also said that an FIR has also been registered against the suspended professor at Civil lines police station under section 509,354(A) and 354 of the IPC.
The professor teaches Women and law as well as Criminal law and Gender Justice in the AMU. The victim, who belongs to Kashmir, had given the complaint to Dean of law Faculty Professor Iqbal Ali Khanagainst Professor Shabbir, who is the chairman of law department. The girl alleged that the professor called her inside his chamber in context with some fault in her project paper and then molested her.
According to university authorities, the girl had given the complaint against Professor Shabbir on Tuesday and a preliminary inquiry was conducted on the next day. On the basis of the findings of the inquiry, the professor was suspended last night. While the authorities denied to divulge the details of the findings of the preliminary inquiry, law faculty dean Professor Iqbal Ali Khan said the girl had filed the complaint with him and he had forwarded it to the higher authorities. According to sources, the university had suspended Professor Shabbir, who was due to retire on May, 2014. On similar charges of sexual harassment eight years ago on a complaint of US-based university girl student who had come on a visit. After going back to the US, she had lodged a complaint with the US embassy in this regard which was forwarded to the AMU authorities. Shabbir was suspended on the charges then as well. After four months, the inquiry had given him a clean chit and his suspension was revoked.