More than two months after the Internal Committee of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata found a top official guilty of sexual harassment, he has finally been served a notice to submit his representation.
The survivor, a former student and faculty member of the institute, told TNM that she was shocked to learn about the delay after waiting for more than two years for justice. She said the prolonged process had taken a toll on her wellbeing.
“It came as a shock to me to learn through the Students’ Union statement that the Chairman of SRFTI, Mr. Suresh Gopi, issued a notice to the guilty official only on 13 July 2026. This action should have been taken two months ago, when the Internal Committee (IC) submitted its final inquiry report in May 2026,” she said.
The reason for the delay emerged after SRFTI students held a protest on campus on July 13, marching to the office of Vice Chancellor Samiran Datta. In a statement, the Students’ Union said it had learned that the delay was caused by the chairperson of the institute – actor and Bharatiya Janata Party Minister Suresh Gopi – who gave the approval to send the notice to the guilty official only by July 13.
The survivor said this was not the first such delay in the proceedings. “Earlier, when it was the chairperson’s responsibility as the disciplinary authority to issue the charge sheet — a mandatory step to initiate the second stage of the inquiry — it was delayed for several months and was issued only after sustained intervention. As the complainant who has endured this process for over two years, which has impacted my overall well-being, I ask: Why am I being made to wait even after the inquiry has concluded and the Internal Committee has found the official guilty of sexual harassment?” the survivor questioned.
Under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act, an inquiry into an IC complaint should be completed within 90 days of the complaint, and action must be taken within 60 days of the IC submitting its report. The survivor filed her complaint in May 2024 against the official, who has since been asked to work from home while continuing to receive his salary. Two years later, in May 2026, the IC, after two stages of investigation with the second stage led by an Inquiry Authority, submitted its report, finding the official guilty of sexual harassment and other charges.
However, the institute did not take any action after the mandatory 60-day period had passed. When chairperson Suresh Gopi was questioned about the delay, he asked the media if they were above the court. He claimed that the court had given the institute time to proceed legally and that it did not need the permission of the media.
