Stephen's molestation: Professor alleges ICC under pressure to rule against him

St Stephen's professor who has been accused of sexual harassment by a PhD scholar has written to Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, alleging that due procedures are not being followed in probing the complaint and the committee is under pressure to rule against him.

"A fake complaint of sexual harassment was filed against me in which due procedures are not being allowed to be followed and the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) probing the issue is being pressurised to rule against me.

"I am a person with 85 per cent disability and I am being continuously victimised and targeted by some teachers at the college. I request you that I be granted from this violent atmosphere and till the completion of the enquiry the media reporting of the case be stopped," the accused professor Satish Kumar said in his complaint.

Following the complaint, the Chief Commissioner's office has sought responses to the allegations from St Stephen's college as well as the University Grants Commission (UGC).

A research scholar at St Stephen's had last month approached police alleging that she was sexually harassed by Chemistry professor Satish Kumar under whom she was doing her PhD. She had also accused college principal Valson Thampu of shielding the accused.

During a hearing before the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) in connection with the complaint, Kumar had alleged that the complaint against him was fallout of his opposition to the girl's poor performance during the research.

However, he has not submitted any evidences before the commission yet about whether he had initiated any complaints to the university, research council or UGC about the girl's dissatisfactory performance.