Senate to take call on dentist’s termination

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, October 23

The Panjab University (PU) Senate is going to deliberate on termination of Dr Devinder Preet Singh, a dentist, at its forthcoming meeting on November 3.

He is accused of molestation and sexually harassing dental students at the Dr Harvansh Singh Judge Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital.

The Senate, the governing body of the PU, is the punishing authority in case of Dr Devinder. If it dismisses him, it will be the second such case of PU as it had dismissed assistant professor Komal Singh of Public Administration Department on May 27. He was dismissed for alleged repeated acts of sexual harassment. However, he has an option of seeking a job outside the PU.

The Panjab University Committee Against Sexual Harassment (PUCASH) had recommended a penalty against him in its May 25 report. The major penalties include to a lower post or timescale, or to a lower stage in timescale or removal from service of the university.

But it does not include disqualifying from future employment or dismissal from the service of the university. Dr Devinder Preet had pleaded guilty to the multiple offences of sexual harassment.

In its findings, the PUCASH had noted that “it was clear that he had physically touched the primary complainant inappropriately on her chest on the pretext of examining her”.

The incident took place on March 6 and the complainant came forward the next day. After that, other victims also came forward with complaints.

The committee said “it was very clear that the accused had been sending vulgar text messages and making other inappropriate comments and invitations, which clearly fell within the definition of sexual harassment”.

“He also admitted to having sent an obscene video to one of the students, which he claimed to have sent inadvertently,” reads the report.

Examining another complaint from a student, the committee found that Dr Devinder Preet Singh held the hands of an intern from behind engulfing her and in this case, his explanation was not satisfactory.

“He remained silent on the issue of touching the badge on the chest of a girl student which was regarded by the student as inappropriately touching her,” said the report.

In another complaint, the committee had found his explanation regarding touching the stomach of a girl student unsatisfactory.

The committee’s findings further said, “Dr Devinder Preet has himself clearly admitted his guilt verbally and stated in writing that ‘I want to plead guilty, but the severity of the guilt is not of the level as it has been placed by the complainants before the PUCASH’.”

One of the students had complained, “Dr Devinder Preet has been sending me vulgar messages of whose copy/screenshots has been already submitted. He used to send me obscene videos and message me at late night, which was very absurd. When I used to be alone at home, he used to send me messages that he wants to come to my place. He used to ask me out for lunch and also send me a cake and teddy with a heart holding in hands on my birthday, receiving it from a faculty member at that post was very embarrassing. All this happened from the period of December’17 to March 2018.”

When PUCASH asked Dr Devinder Preet whether he had sent any obscene or inappropriate images on WhatsApp to any girl student, the dentist said he might have forwarded it on the account of an inadvertent lapse as he had a touch screen phone and “he receives obscene images on a WhatsApp group namely Dirty Doctors”.

Issues likely to be taken up   

• Amendment to service regulations of the PU in view of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013, after which a teacher can be dismissed for sexual harassment by the Senate with a simple majority. As of now, a two-thirds majority is required.
• Punishment against former Senator Munish Verma for cheating the PU while deputing three persons as centre and assistant superintendents in the 2014 annual exams. 
• Approval of a PG diploma in the Disaster Management and Corporate Security and Certificate course in Corporate Security, Safety and Fire Protection Management in the University School of Open Learning (USOL), Department of Defence and National Security Studies.
• Whether the agenda be sent with minutes of the Syndicate meeting to Senate members. 
• Approval of a PG diploma in Life Skills and Education for Human Excellence and a PG diploma in Educational Technology at the Government College of Education, Sector 20, Chandigarh. 
• Naming of BMS Blocks-I and II on the south campus of the PU after Venki Ramakrishnan and Hargobind Khorana Block, respectively. Both are Nobel laureates.
• Approval of Masters of Architecture in the Chandigarh College of Architecture. 
• Introduction of MA Education at the USOL.
• The Chief Vigilance Officer's report against former PU professor VK Chopra over visiting an affiliated college for an inspection without authorisation.