The harassment allegations made against him by a faculty member have resulted in the suspension of the principal of Delhi University's Ramanujan College, which he described as "false, fabricated, politically motivated, and devoid of merit."
The university did not immediately provide a reaction on the subject.
Among the charges the faculty member filed on March 13 are claims of misconduct and harassment. On September 18, the principal was placed on leave.
The Ramanujan College principal, in a letter to the PMO on September 13, alleged that the harassment complaint was a coordinated attempt by a faculty member and her colleagues to oust him after her promotion was denied due to incomplete documents. University sources said a three-member committee reviewed the charges, leading to his suspension.
The committee’s report has been submitted to Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh, who will now forward the allegations to the internal complaints committee, sources said. In his letter to the PMO, the principal claimed he was under severe mental and professional stress, alleging political pressure to approve a promotion and threats of being falsely implicated in a sexual harassment case.
The principal argued that the harassment complaint was not first sent to the Internal Complaints Committee, as required under UGC rules and the PoSH Act. He said he was being forced to resign under political pressure, with suspension or termination threatened. Denying any wrongdoing, he urged that the allegations — which he called conspiratorial and baseless — be dismissed.
The principal declared, "I have never committed any misconduct, sexual or otherwise, towards any colleague or individual," and asked that the "conspiratorial, manipulated, and unsubstantiated allegations filed against me be dismissed in their entirety."