Sexual scandals are not confined to politicians but have emerged from what are regarded as hallowed corridors of learning too in the state. The University of Mysore (UoM) has for the last year dealt with embarassing charges by a research scholar, Saritha M, that she was sexually harassed by her guide and professor of zoology, Shivabasavaiah. Although it has now deigned to punish the professor in question and changed the scholar's guide, she is far from satisfied and wants him dismissed from the university or compulsorily retired.

Saritha is bitter that even after the torture and pain she has undergone the university has merely decided to transfer the professor and put a cap on his salary. “Had justice been done within the four walls of the vice chancellor's chamber at the university, my problem would not been exposed to the world. But I have suffered untold trauma and torture because of it,” she says, recalling that a year has gone by since she complained to the vice chancellor, Prof V. G. Talawar about professor Shivabasavaiah's conduct.

“The VC assured me that he would change my guide and take action against the professor. Had he done so, I would not have suffered so much torture and been exploited like I have been. The matter took a caste colour initially and now it has been politicised. Backward community leaders have asked me to go in for brain mapping narco analysis and I and my present guide have received threatening letters. And now the statement by Ms Motamma asking why I had to go to the professor’s house when his wife was not home, has hurt me badly, as it is not true. My husband who was a scientist with the department of science and technology is jobless today and we are in financial trouble too,” she says in anguish.

Recalling her tortuous journey since she complained about the sexual harassement, she says, “After my husband wrote to the women’s commission, I was summoned for an inquiry on March 4 , 2011, where I had to explain the incident orally and in writing too. The next day I was asked to see the vice chancellor, prof Talawar, who told me that prof. Shivbasavaiah was denying the charges and wanted to know why I was trying to harm him. I was shocked. Following this I was issued a relieving letter and thrown out from the department. I tried to commit suicide, but my husband saved me,” she adds with pain.

“It was at this juncture that a complaint was registered with the Vijaynagar police against prof Shivbasavaiah and the vice chancellor. The Workplace Harassment Committee of the university also conducted four rounds of inquiry and we learnt through RTI that it had found the professor guilty. But the report was not released for a very long time and when it came out I was shocked as it held the professor guilty but said I needed to undergo one more round of departmental inquiry. We brought a stay from the court on this as I was not ready to relive the torture by explaining everything a fourth time,” Saritha goes on

There was more to come, however, as the department issued her a showcause notice threatening to cancel her fellowship and Phd registration because she was "talking to the media and vitiating the atmosphere at the university." Once again the research scholar turned to the courts and brought a stay on the university's fresh attack. But there was no respite, as she received summons from the National Commission for Scheduled Caste on prof Shivbasavaiah's complaint that she was harassing him.

The courts came to her rescue again, but then she learnt that the professor, who had been suspended after her suicide attempt, had been made director of Prasaranga.“That is when I took to the streets and protested for three days. He was transferred to Kuvempu University, but it allegedly refused to take him. Now that the university has finally accepted his guilt, it has only cut his pay. This is not acceptable. When a professor allegedly kissed a student’s hand in 2001, he was dismissed. And in Mangalore University when a professor faced similar charges he was compulsory retired. So why is no such action being taken now?" she demands, declaring that she will fight to the end until justice is served in the interests of women everywhere.