The Times of India: Ahmedabad: Friday, April 13, 2012.
National Institute of Design (NID), which had been asked by the Gujarat high court to explain the dismissal of a woman faculty, submitted a reply to the court on Thursday. The institute said that it had sacked Deepa Chalke because it had received several complaints from other faculties.
The court had issued a notice to NID on March 26. The notice was issued after the dismissed faculty member - of apparel and merchandising department - filed a petition in the high court saying that her contract had been terminated without any reason.
Chalke, a single mother, had alleged that she had been sexually harassed by some employees of the institute. According to Chalke's lawyer, Mukul Sinha, NID told the court in its reply that other faculties had also made complaints against her. Because of this the director of the institute had to step in and take the decision of discontinuing with Chalke's service, the reply said.
After receiving the reply, the court fixed another hearing on May 3. The court also extended the earlier interim relief for Chalke to continue staying at the institute's quarters.
In November last year, Chalke had complained to the authorities against the warden of NID's hostel, Shatrughan Tiwari, saying that she found his behaviour derogatory to her personal and professional wellbeing. She had to resort to filing an RTI query to obtain the copy of the proceedings that took place on the basis of her complaint.
Sinha said that the institute did not take any action against the culprit, who continued to harass her through security guards. According to Sinha, when she lodged a formal complaint against a security guard for barging into her house, the institute terminated her contract on February 22.
Chalke moved the high court seeking directions to NID management to reinstate her and take disciplinary action against the warden. After hearing the case, the court stayed NID from evicting her from the campus.
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