BCU revokes dean's suspension without conducting inquiry

The professor was suspended on November 26 following two complaints of harrassment

Bengaluru City University (BCU) has revoked without conducting an inquiry the suspension of a senior faculty member accused of mentally harassing a female research scholar.

The syndicate decided to revoke the suspension of Prof M Muninarayanappa, the dean of the commerce department, at its meeting on December 16. The professor was suspended on November 26 following two complaints filed by the scholar. At the time, university authorities had said that the professor would remain suspended until an inquiry is conducted by an Internal Complaints Committee.

But less than a month later, instead of handing over the complaint to the committee and allowing it to conduct an inquiry, the syndicate decided to revoke the suspension. A source in the syndicate said that the decision was taken "considering his career" and that the inquiry can be conducted later.

A syndicate member said some of them had raised objections and told the vice-chancellor that revoking the suspension without the inquiry committee report would be a violation of the University Grants Commission norms. But the syndicate went ahead and took the decision by majority, the member added.

A former registrar of Bangalore University, who is also an academician, said: "When such complaints are made against any staff member, the job of the university is to forward the complaint to the inquiry committee. In this case, the university will be at fault for both revoking the suspension and delaying the inquiry.

"There are high chances of the person facing the allegation putting pressure on the complainant and destroying evidence. What BCU has done in this case is illegal."

A senior professor said: "Even if the person is innocent, it has to be proved by the inquiry committee. How can the syndicate take such decisions?"

A research scholar couldn't hide disappointment at the syndicate's decision. "We are all pained... But we don't want to comment more at this juncture. We will wait for the inquiry to take place and testify before the committee. We hope there will be justice at least then."

An official source said the university would reconstitute the committee because the wife of the commerce dean was a member of the previous committee.

BCU Vice-Chancellor Prof Lingaraja Gandhi refused to comment on the matter.