The complaint copy that TNM has seen, alleges that the professor made inappropriate, vulgar and lewd comments in class and used to do ‘physically disgusting things’.
The Trichy police have registered a case against CJ Paul Chandra Mohan, a Tamil professor and Head of Department of Tamil at Bishop Heber College who was suspended following complaints of sexual harassment. In March this year, a group of five female students had filed a complaint with the college authorities, alleging that Paul Chandra was using sexual innuendos during offline classes. The complaint copy that TNM has seen, alleges that the professor made inappropriate, vulgar and lewd comments in class and used to do ‘physically disgusting things’.
After the students filed the complaint, the seven-member Internal Complaints Committee (IC) started an inquiry into the matter. In April, the committee submitted its report, finding prima facie evidence against him. However, he was placed under suspension only on June 30. According to section 13 (4) of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, the employer should act upon the recommendation of the IC within 60 days of its receipt.
Since no further action or inquiry was carried out, the Trichy District Collector S Sivarasu suo motu constituted a committee to probe the sexual harassment allegation against Paul, an associate professor and the Head of Tamil Department. Bishop Heber College is a private college run by the Thanjavur Diocese of the Church of South India and is government-aided.
The District Committee carried out an inquiry with the college authorities on July 2 and with the student complainants on July 3.
The complaint copy says that Paul Chandramohan has taken only a few classes for the students and during these classes, he has made numerous vulgar and sexually loaded comments. “Once he asked us a question, “If you see two lovers in a park, what do you feel?” We didn’t react. Once again he insistently asked what we’d think will happen in three months. Another time he asked us to imagine a married couple going in a two-wheeler and to imagine ourselves in that place. To this we said we don’t feel anything and he replied that there must then be something wrong with us,” the complaint said. It also alleged that the professor never used to sit properly while taking classes. “His legs would be spread in such a way that they touch our legs,” the students said.
On July 6 (Tuesday), the Trichy unit of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student organisation affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), also carried out a protest, demanding legal action against the suspended professor.
Source: The News Minute