Times of India: Lucknow: Saturday, July 15, 2017.
The National
Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has reprimanded the Babasaheb Bhimrao
Ambedkar University (BBAU) vice-chancellor Prof RC Sobti for showing immature
and insensitive attitude in handling an alleged case of harassment reported by
a Dalit lady officer of the university. On the complaint of BBAU registrar Prof
Sunita Chandra of harassment and use of derogatory remarks by varsity's finance
officer RS Singh, the NCSC has also constituted an external committee to
examine the incident, which took place on June 15 when the former went to seek
a certified copy of her pay slip from the latter.
In an order
dated July 12, NCSC chairman RS Katheria has summoned the VC; secretary, Union
ministry of human resource development; senior superintendent of police (SSP),
and the investigating officer for next hearing on July 27. The interim findings
by NCSC, based on the hearing held on July 6, found Sobti making contradictory
statements before the Commission. The NCSC stated that FO's behaviour to not
issue a certified copy of Chandra's pay slip and instead asking her reasons for
her own copy seems to be obstructive, being almost discriminatory in nature.
"In fact, with the implementation of the RTI Act, anyone can request for
certified copies of any document without citing any reason and university has to
supply the same," read the order.
NCSC also
pulled up the VC and his advisor for asking registrar to move to a flat below
the one allotted to the FO, accused of harassing her. The order stated that
both, the VC and his advisor lack basic knowledge of the Vishakha guidelines of
Supreme Court and also the provisions of the Sexual Harassment of Women at
Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013. "This is more
regrettable especially since the VC has a legal team advising him," the
order stated, advising VC to take steps strictly in conformity of the SHWW Act.
The NCSC has
also questioned the validity of the internal complaint committee (ICC)
constituted by the VC to probe the alleged harassment case. According to the
order, action of VC to refer the matter to ICC, even when there is an
involvement of two top officers of the university, shows lack of knowledge of
the act as well as foresight, maturity and sensitivity. Since the ICC is de
facto, an enquiry committee, and as per SHWW Act, its report is to be treated
as enquiry report, the committee's chairperson should be sufficiently senior to
the accused. In this case, said the order, the accused is third senior most in
the hierarchy, and so any ICC can't be competent as all members would be junior
or equivalent to him (FO), in rank and pay scale. Hence, the ICC is irregular
and baseless, read the order.
In addition,
the NCSC also found VC violating rules of SHWW Act by not meeting Chandra
(petitioner) when she went to apprise him of the molestation incident and not
assisting her to file an FIR. For proper examination of the incident, a
three-member committee with Sadhana Tripathi, member, Commercial Tax Appellate
Tribunal, Nutan Thakur advocate and rights activist and Pushpa Balmiki, founder
Swachkar Samaj Vikas Manch as its members have been constituted by NCSC. The
committee is asked to submit the report to the NCSC and the VC within 1 month.
.JPG)
.JPG)
