NEW DELHI, Sept 8: North East Support Centre & Helpline has condemned the sexual assault on a Ph. D. scholar at Haryana Agriculture University at Hisar, Haryana.
A release of the centre stated that the university authorities forced the victim to withdraw her complaint. NE Helpline would submit a memorandum to Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi to take action on errant retired professor and high handedness of the university authorities.
An Associate Dean of Haryana Agriculture University, Hisar outraged the modesty of a Ph. D. research scholar Ms Sunita (name changed), 26 years old girl from Manipur.
According to source reaching to North East Support Centre & Helpline, the incident happened when Sunita went to Associate Dean Dr. R K Behal to discuss about scholarship in staff cabin on September 3, 2011 at around 4 PM. While Sunita was leaving the cabin after the discussion, Dr. Behal grabbed her hand and outraged her modesty. Sunita raised her voice loud and managed to run away from the cabin.
The matter was reported first to her research guide, who turned her off not to lodge any complaint. Latter the matter was report to her room mates and her parents back in Manipur. The students came forward to support Sunita and boycotted classes till Monday and formal complaint was lodged at Vice Chancellor’s office and the accused made public apology before students and university faculties, the release stated.
Latter the department head of Plant Genetic of the University forced Sunita to withdraw her complaint yesterday at 5 PM with three conditions that accused has made public apology in front of all students, he will be dismissed from the college and she would lodge any complaint neither to police nor to court. She refused to sign until 7PM but the university authorities forced her to sign the memorandum to withdraw her complaint and also not lodge complaint to police nor to any court.
The release further mentioned that North East Support Centre & Helpline condemns the Department Heads of Plant Genetic under Haryana University, Hisar for failing to protect student and forcing Sunita to sign the memorandum to withdraw her complaint and not to lodge complaint to police and to any court.
Madhu Chandra – Spokesperson of North East Support Centre & Helpline spoke to Superintendant of Police, Hisar Mr. Vivek Sharma last night informing him that the victim is forced by the University authorise to withdraw her complaint. Mr. Sharma turned off as well to entertain the complaint saying the victim and the parents have not lodge any complaint at police station.
North East Support Centre & Helpline will submit a memorandum to India Council of Agricultural Research against high handedness of Haryana Agriculture University, Hisar.
The high handedness of University authorities is a clear nature of social profiling. “If the victim happens to be someone from Hisar, would they have forced her to withdraw her complaint,” says Madhu Chandra.
North East Support Centre & Helpline (www.nehelpline.net) is combined initiative of various human rights activists, social workers, students, journalists and lawyers seeking to prevent harassment and abuses meted out to women, North East People and tribal communities of different states.