A Delhi University associate professor at Satyawati College has been sent on leave and issued a show-cause notice after a student complained of alleged sexual harassment, repeated calls, inappropriate conduct and the use of obscene language, according to a report by Live Hindustan citing college sources. The college’s Internal Complaints Committee is investigating the complaint.
A college faculty member confirmed to ANI that the student had accused the associate professor of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour. The report said the student submitted her complaint to the ICC on 2 November, two days after the alleged incident.
In her complaint, the student allegedly stated that the professor repeatedly called her and sent her an obscene PDF document while describing it as part of the syllabus. The report also said that the complaint referred to several alleged incidents involving harassment, inappropriate behaviour and obscene language.
The college administration has issued a show-cause notice to the professor and sent him on leave while the inquiry is under way. The action is an interim institutional response and does not establish the allegations, which remain subject to the ICC’s findings.
A faculty member, speaking anonymously, told ANI that the professor had reportedly been among potential applicants for the post of vice-principal at the college. The same faculty member said the professor appeared to have sent the student some works by Urdu writer Saadat Hasan Manto, adding that this could possibly have been part of a regular academic activity. The report did not establish whether the material was formally prescribed for the student’s course or clarify the context in which it was sent.
The ICC is expected to submit its report after completing the inquiry. The matter will then be sent to the college’s governing body and Delhi University for further action, according to the report. The college’s principal, Subhash Kumar Singh, had not provided an immediate response at the time of publication.
The case comes days after an assistant professor at Delhi University’s Daulat Ram College was also sent on leave following a complaint alleging sexual harassment, molestation and threats of academic retaliation. That case is likewise being examined by an internal complaints committee.
The inquiry at Satyawati College will determine the facts of the complaint and whether institutional rules were violated. The next formal step is the submission of the ICC’s report to the governing body and the university.
