KU set to reappoint teacher held guilty of sexual harassment

Vishal Joshi

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, August 25

Kurukshetra University (KU) has given approval to reappoint an assistant professor who was held guilty of sexual harassment of girl students by the Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) in 2013.

The decision was passed on ‘humanitarian grounds’ by the Executive Council (EC) in its meeting held yesterday.

Incidentally, the decision came the same day when the university announced to reserve extra seats for female students as a measure of women empowerment.

According to the official papers possessed by The Tribune, re-employment of Dr RK Singh in the Department of Fine Arts was initiated on the recommendation of Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki, the ex-officio KU Chancellor.

After giving a personal hearing to Singh, indicted in sexual harassment complaints, the Chancellor wrote to the KU to consider the case.

“The Chancellor does not want to supersede the decision of the EC and leave to their prudence and wisdom to look into this aspect and directed the EC to reconsider the issue and pass appropriate orders in the matter,” reads the agenda put before the EC, the highest decision-making body which subsequently passed it without any dissent.

Confirming the development, Vice-Chancellor Prof KC Sharma said the conduct of Singh would be under constant watch through cameras to be fitted in the classrooms.

“The EC fully endorsed the opinion of the Chancellor that punishment to retire compulsorily was on the higher side. He is re-employed afresh and will be deprived of other functionary assignments. He has a family to feed and setting aside his 10 years of job seems to be enough punishment,” said Sharma.

Following complaints by students of the Department of Fine Arts, Singh was made to compulsorily retire as assistant professor on December 1, 2014. In September 2012, students had accused Singh of sexually harassing them by passing lewd remarks and making advances. The case was referred to the GSCASH and Singh was suspended by the university in January 15, 2013. The inquiry committee completed its probe on February 2, 2013.

As the matter came up before the EC for further action on May 22, 2013, the case was deferred on various grounds for more than a year. On December 1, 2014, the EC gave its nod to retire RK Singh compulsorily.