In the latest development in the sexual harassment case engulfing prestigious St Stephen’s college in Delhi University, students, teachers and women’s organisations are slated to stage protest on Monday to demand a fair probe.
The college’s principal, Valson Thampu, has sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged sexual harassment of a PhD student by a Stephen’s professor.
While the student accused Thampu of putting pressure on her to drop the case against the accused professor, the principal hit back alleging vested interests were using the complainant to malign the reputation of the college.
Over the weekend, the Union HRD Ministry stepped in, asking the University Grants Commission (UGC) to investigate why no action was taken by the college’s complaint panel.
Thampu claimed that “the victim is being used against him” and a forensic investigation of the “purported” recordings will clear the air.
“In view of the attempts by various agencies to spread confusion, compromise truth, mislead the public and scuttle justice, I, in my capacity as the Principal of St.Stephen’s College request a full-fledged judicial inquiry under a sitting or retired Judge of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India (in case of judicial inquiry) or CBI inquiry covering all aspects of the alleged sexual harassment matter,” Thampu said in a post on his Facebook page.
“I feel sorry for the victim. She is being misled and is being used against me by certain elements in the college only. “She has admitted herself to the media that she released the audio recordings as advised by a ‘teacher’,” Thampu said.
“She is not understanding that she is being guided or prompted by certain people to serve their ulterior purposes. The end of this can only be destruction because the truth cannot be hidden,” he added.
The principal, however, did not comment on who those “certain people” are.
The research scholar, who has alleged she was molested by a college professor and Thampu had tried to shield him, approached police last week with four recordings that she claimed to have made during her meetings with the principal where had allegedly pressurised her to withdraw the complaint.
While Thampu is maintaining that the recordings have been “mischievously edited”, he said the editors did not do a good job.
“The purported tapes have statements contrary to allegations raised by the complainant against me. I am disappointed as a better job could have been done in editing the recordings.
“I have good reasons to believe that the truth will come out if the tapes are subjected to forensic investigation,” he added.
(With inputs from PTI)