The internal complaints committee (ICC) of Jadavpur University that was bound to give by December 11 its report on complaints of “inappropriate behaviour” levelled by students against a teacher has missed the deadline. The delay has yet again raised questions about the progress of the probe.
On September 12, the students had lodged a complaint with the JU authorities against the teacher. The university referred the case to the ICC.
According to the law, the ICC had time till December 11 (three months since the filing of the complaint) to submit a report.
On Tuesday, when this newspaper asked pro vice-chancellor Chiranjeeb Bhattacharya about the report, he said the committee could not file its report within the stipulated period because it could not hold hearings during the Puja vacation. That vacation ended in October.
“The committee is expected to file its report in January,” said Bhattacharya, who is helming the university as VC Suranjan Das is out of Bengal. Some of the complainants had earlier alleged that the ICC had been “insensitive towards them”.
The University Grants Commission (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal of Sexual Harassment of Women Employees and Students in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2015, under which ICCs are set up, say: “The inquiry has to be completed within a period of ninety days from the receipt of the complaint. The inquiry report, with recommendations, if any, has to be submitted within ten days from the completion of the inquiry to the executive authority of the higher educational institutions. Copy of the findings shall also be served on both parties.”
Amit Sen, a former member of Calcutta University’s ICC, said time-bound submission of a report indicates the panel’s sincerity and commitment to finding out the truth.
“Ideally, the 90-day period should not be extended as that might give the impression to the complainants that the ICC is not serious enough. Even if the deadline is extended, the decision has to be approved by the university’s executive council,” said Sen.
This newspaper sent a text message to JU pro VC Bhattacharya asking whether a meeting of the executive council had been convened. He said: “Please ask VC, as I am not aware of such rules.”
One student said: “We don’t know what will happen or who we should approach. We don’t have much hope.”