The Adikavi Nannaya University on Monday suspended Professor N Surya Raghavendra, the Head of English Department in the varsity, after an enquiry committee met to discuss allegations of sexual harassment against him.
The incident came to light last week, after three female students from the University wrote to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, alleging that the professor would frequently harass women and request sexual favours.
They alleged that he would conduct frequent 'special classes' as an excuse to harass them and would threaten to fail them in his subjects if they attempted to complain against him. Screenshots of his messages to some of the students, where he is seen asking for pictures of the women, were also leaked to the media.
The committee met on Monday and asked the students to appear before it. The panel is expected to meet again on Tuesday and may address the media.
Vice-Chancellor Suresh Verma told reporters that action would be taken against the professor after the enquiry committee submitted its final report.
The Chief Minister's Office, which received the letter last week, forwarded it to the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education, which in turn, wrote to the university. The complaint was handed over to the Women Cell on the campus for investigation.
At the time, the VC said that the English Department was established in 2006 and had 60 students in two classes, besides four permanent faculty members. Surya Raghavendra had been working at the university since 2008.
East Godavari Collector Muralidhar Reddy had also responded to the incident last week, telling reporters, "The VC told me that he had referred the matter to the committee. As soon as the inquiry is complete, we will take action. We will monitor the case and ensure that a fair inquiry is conducted."