India: University forces retirement of professor accused of sexual harassment
Female students had complained against the professor for making lewd comments
Varanasi: Banaras Hindu University (BHU) Professor S.K. Chaube, who has been found guilty of body shaming students and making lewd comments, has been given compulsory retirement.
A decision to this effect was taken at an Executive Council meeting held in New Delhi over the weekend.
The meeting was chaired by Vice Chancellor Professor Rakesh Bhatnagar. However, BHU spokesperson Rajesh Singh said that no official confirmation was received by the administration.
The incident came to light after some female students had complained that during a tour to Pune in October 2018, Chaube had body shamed some of them and also passed lewd comments. They lodged a complaint against the professor after returning from the tour. Chaube was suspended following the complaint and the Vice Chancellor asked the varsity’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) to look into the matter.
In June, the Executive Council revoked Chaube’s suspension with a censure that he cannot take up any future assignments.
In protest against his reinstatement, students staged a sit-in stir at BHU’s main gate and took out a march on the campus on September 14, demanding his ouster.
They ended their protest the following day after a delegation of the agitating students called on the Vice Chancellor, and the varsity administration decided to refer the matter to the Executive Council for reconsideration.
Chaube was also asked to proceed on long leave.