Police registers FIR in DSEU lecturer sexual harassment case
Delhi Police on Monday registered an FIR in connection with allegations of sexual and administrative harassment, delayed salary payments and damage to service records made by a woman lecturer at the state-run Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University (DSEU). The case was filed following directions from a Delhi court, which found the allegations to disclose cognisable offences and ordered a police investigation.
The FIR was registered at the Dwarka South police station against unknown persons. The charges include insulting the modesty of a woman and joint liability, where everyone shares a common intention to commit a crime. The woman alleged sustained harassment by university officials, financial distress due to delayed salaries and tampering with official service records critical to her career.
According to police officials, the FIR was registered pursuant to an order passed by a Dwarka court on January 7, after the complainant approached the judiciary alleging inaction on her earlier complaint. In its order, the court observed that the allegations warranted a criminal probe and directed the police to register a case and conduct a detailed investigation.
In her complaint, the lecturer, described as a senior Government officer with over 20 years of service, alleged that after DSEU took over salary disbursement, her payments were repeatedly delayed.
She claimed this pushed her into severe financial hardship, forcing her to default on loan repayments and incur penalties.
The complainant alleged that between October 2023 and February 2024, she faced repeated harassment while pursuing her unpaid salary and pending reimbursements. She said that despite approaching the police in February 2024, no FIR was registered at that time.
The lecturer further alleged that in April 2024, the university placed her under suspension as a retaliatory measure aimed at silencing her complaints. According to her, the suspension was later revoked on October 1, 2024, following an internal inquiry, which she said vindicated her stand.
A key allegation in the FIR relates to the condition of her personal file and service book, documents essential for salary processing, promotions and retirement benefits. The complainant alleged that when she visited the university campus to retrieve these records, she found them torn and damaged. Fearing deliberate destruction of official documents, she claimed she sought police assistance from the campus itself.
She further alleged that senior officials attempted to pressure her into accepting the damaged records and suggested that she resign if she continued to raise grievances. The woman accused university officials of criminal conspiracy, intimidation and deliberate destruction of Government property, arguing that any loss or alteration of service records could cause irreversible harm to her present and future employment.
Reacting to the FIR, DSEU Vice-Chancellor Ashok Nagawat rejected the allegations, calling them baseless and motivated. “We are aware that a complaint was made and an FIR has been registered. This is an attempt to pressure us,” Nagawat said. He said the university plans to file a review petition and may initiate defamation proceedings if required. “The allegations are completely baseless,” he added.
Police officials said the investigation has begun and all allegations, including those related to harassment, salary delays and alleged damage to records, will be examined. Statements of concerned officials and documentary evidence will be collected as part of the probe.
