The National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRD & PR) on Tuesday backed an assistant professor and claimed that sexual harassment charges levelled by a woman faculty member against him were 'false'.
The institute also said that disciplinary proceedings were pending against the complainant.
NIRD Registrar and Director (Administration) Franklin Laltinkhuma said that the woman in question, had complained of sexual harassment against Satyaranjan Mahakul, an assistant professor, on February 1.
Following this, the institute alleged that it followed all guidelines and began an investigation under the 'Sexual harassment of women at workplace (prevention, prohibition and redressal) Act, 2013.'
The inquiry report which was submitted, claimed that the allegation of the woman against her junior, was false.
"Disciplinary proceedings are pending against the woman associate professor for giving a false complaint as mandated under the Act", Franklin was quoted as saying.
This came a day after Mahakul was arrested by the police in Hyderabad based on a complaint and police case under the Schedule Castes and Scheduled Tribes (prevention of atrocities) Act.
The complainant had alleged that 40-year-old Mahakul had molested her and abused her with casteist remarks.
The university accused the police of arresting the assistant professor without taking appropriate permission.
“According to the latest directions of the Supreme Court regarding the misuse of provisions of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989, ‘no arrest may be effected if an accused person is a public servant, without written permission of the appointing authority’,” a release from the university stated.
This also comes days after the Hyderabad Police arrested a senior scientist at the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) in the city for sexually harassing a Dalit student.
K. Bhaskarachary (58), who was suspended by the NIN last month, was arrested by police and later produced before a court, which sent him to judicial custody.
Police said the scientist was booked on May 18 on a complaint by a second year student of MSc (Nutrition), who hails from West Bengal. He was arrested after police conducted an investigation and collected the evidence.
Bhaskarachary, who was the student's guide on dissertation, allegedly harassed her with obscene messages and threatened her.