New Delhi: Facing criticism over handling of the research scholar molestation case, St Stephen’s principal Valson Thampu on Monday said he would resign if it was proved that “he was a cause of embarrassment to the institution”.
Thampu, who is facing demands for resignation for allegedly pressurising the victim to withdraw the complaint, said he had full faith in the Delhi police and slammed the “extrajudicial pressure”.
“If I am a cause of embarrassment to the institution and it is objectively proved, I will put in my papers that very moment,” Thampu, who has been embroiled in controversies ever since he took over as college’s principal in 2008, said.
Scores of students, teachers and women rights activists on Monday took to the streets demanding his resignation over the issue.
On the protests, Thampu said, “I want to be explicit in saying this. What is the need to mount extrajudicial pressure on the issue? What is the need to bring various other organisations to disturb the peace of campus?”
“I have absolute trust in competent integrity of Delhi police but it seems to me that the complainant and forces working behind her have no trust,” he added.
The research scholar, who has alleged she was molested by a college professor and that Thampu had tried to shield him, approached police last week with four recordings that she claimed to have made during her meetings with the principal who had allegedly pressurised her to withdraw the complaint.
Demanding a CBI probe into the issue, Thampu had on Sunday claimed that the victim is being used against him by certain elements in college. He, however, did not reveal who those “certain people” are.
He had said that the “purported” recordings made public by the complainant are mischievously edited and a forensic investigation will clear the air.
Besides Thampu’s resignation, the protesters also demanded that the research supervisor of victim be changed immediately so her PhD doesn’t suffer till the time an inquiry is conducted into the matter.
A section of Delhi University students and teachers along with student bodies including All India Students’ Association and Students Federation of India, staged a protest outside the college campus.
“The entire country talks about women safety but if a girl cannot find herself safe and get justice at renowned institutions like DU and St Stephen’s, it is shameful for our education system,” said Shreya, a DU student.
Activists from All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), Centre for Struggling Women (CSW), Saheli and All India Progressive Women Association (AIPWA), among other women organisations, also joined them in demanding Thampu’s resignation and justice for the victim.
A research scholar has alleged that she was molested by an assistant professor in the college’s Chemistry department.
The accused Satish Kumar, who was supervising her PhD, had also threatened to pour sulphuric acid on her.
The complainant has also alleged that Thampu had tried to shield Kumar and pressurised her to not treat the issue as that of sexual harassment. In support of her argument, she had also made public a set of recordings which she claimed she had made during her meetings with the principal regarding the issue.
Thampu, however, has discarded them as “mischievously edited” tapes maintaining that a forensic investigation of them will clear the air.
The protesters also demanded that with the probe being underway, the university should change the victim’s research supervisor so her PhD doesn’t suffer.
“We want her supervisor to be changed immediately. The professor and the principal have deliberately delayed her PhD so far. There should be no more injustice to her,” said Maya John, an activist from Centre from Struggling Women.
