Delhi University’s Satyawati College has issued a show-cause notice to an associate professor and sent him on leave after a student filed a sexual harassment complaint, according to a report by Live Hindustan citing college faculty. The college’s Internal Complaints Committee is investigating the allegations.
The student reportedly submitted her complaint to the committee on November 2, two days after the alleged incident. In the complaint, she accused the professor of repeatedly calling her, engaging in inappropriate behaviour and sending her an allegedly obscene PDF while describing it as part of the syllabus.
The allegations have not been established. The Internal Complaints Committee is expected to examine the complaint and submit its findings before the matter is referred to the college’s governing body and Delhi University for further action, according to the report.
A college faculty member confirmed to ANI that the student had complained of sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct. Another faculty member, who was quoted anonymously, said the professor was reportedly among the possible applicants for the post of vice-principal. The faculty member added that the committee would determine whether the allegations were substantiated.
The report also said the professor had allegedly sent the student writings by Urdu author Saadat Hasan Manto. It did not establish whether the material was sent for a legitimate academic purpose or in the circumstances alleged by the student. That question is among the matters the college inquiry will need to examine alongside the wider complaint.
The case places the college’s internal complaints mechanism at the centre of the next stage of the process. Under the institution’s stated procedure in this case, the committee will investigate the allegations before the governing body and the university consider any further action.
Satyawati College principal Subhash Kumar Singh had not immediately responded to requests for comment, the report said. The development follows a separate case at Delhi University’s Daulat Ram College, where an assistant professor was reportedly sent on leave after complaints alleging sexual harassment, molestation and threats of academic retaliation. That case was also being investigated by an Internal Complaints Committee.
The Satyawati College committee’s inquiry report is the next formal milestone in the matter. Until it is submitted and considered by the competent authorities, the allegations against the professor remain unproven.
