St Stephen's molestation row escalates; HRD, DCW seek report

NEW DELHI: St Stephen's professor Satish Kumar, facing allegation of molesting a PhD scholar, today found himself in a tight spot as the HRD ministry and Delhi Commission for Women have sought action-taken report from the college about the incident.

Kumar, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry, was yesterday denied anticipatory bail by a Delhi Court in connection with the case.

The professor, also the Bursar of the college, has resigned from the post following which the college's Governing Body today made a new appointment. He will, however, continue to discharge his teaching responsibilities.

"HRD ministry had sent a directive to Delhi University seeking a report in connection with the sexual harassment case. The communication was forwarded by DU Registrar to the college and I have sent a status report on it to the university," St Stephen's Principal Valson Thampu told PTI.

Asked about the content of his reply, Thampu said, "I have explained the sequence of events which unfolded from the day the girl had approached me with her complaint. I have also attached relevant" documents. I have nothing to hide".

The student, who is doing her PhD under Kumar, had approached police last week alleging that she was molested by the teacher in October, 2013.

She has also alleged that college principal Thampu tried to protect him when the matter was reported to the college authorities.

The victim stated in her complaint that Thampu had "criminally intimidated her to give a written application to him expressing her consent to close the matter in the college itself in order to not cause any delay or problems in completion of her PhD".

Thampu told that while the matter was reported to the college's Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), a statutory body to deal with such complaints, the girl had also forwarded a complaint to the university's chemistry department.