Bengaluru: Saturday's Deccan Chronicle report on the allegation of sexual assault on a girl student of Maharani’s College on Sheshadri Road of the city has now opened a can of worms.
Based on the DC report, the Department of Collegiate Education (DCE) on Monday suspended the accused lecturer, Prof. Begur Ramalingappa, with immediate effect. The DCE also suspended another lecturer for leaking the information.
Confirming the suspensions, college Principal Shantha Kumari said that as per DCE directions, Prof Ramalingappa has been suspended. “History lecturer of the college Prof. Vasanth Kumar too has been suspended as per the DCE order," she said.
Sources said that Prof Kumar has been kept under suspension for leaking information on the incident. On March 18, Deccan Chronicle had run an expose on the sexual harassment incident in its report headlined “Prof tries to kiss student”.
In her complaint, the student victim, who is from a socially and economically weaker section and staying in the college hostel, alleged that Prof Ramalingappa outraged her modesty by trying to kiss her.
“Following the internal committee report, the accused professor was transferred to the Government College, Jewargi in Kalaburgi district. But now under pressure from various quarters of society, the DCE kept him under suspension," said a senior officer from the state higher education department.
Meanwhile, five students from the same college made allegations of harassment against five more lecturers. The students, who met DCE Director M.N. Ajay Nagabhushan, lodged a formal complaint with him against the five lecturers.
“All the cases have been referred to the anti-sexual harassment committee of the college. The committee has been given 15 days to submit the report,” said sources.
