Assam Univ prof sent on leave amid sexual harassment probe

Silchar: An assistant professor from Assam University, Silchar's department of social work has been sent on one-month leave following serious allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct. The university has referred the matter to its Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) for investigation and directed the accused faculty member to remain off-campus during the inquiry.

The action follows widespread student protests, including demonstrations held on Sunday and again Monday, organised by students and members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). Protesters have demanded strict disciplinary action against the professor, accusing him of sexual harassment, criminal intimidation, defamation, and mental harassment.

In an official letter issued by registrar PK Nath, the university acknowledged receiving a formal complaint from students along with an initial report from the head of the department of social work. Based on these, the issue was forwarded to the ICC, and the professor has been instructed to fully cooperate with the inquiry process.

As per the letter, the accused has been asked to take "leave of the kind due," effective immediately, for a period of one month. During this time, he is barred from leaving station or entering the university campus without prior approval from the competent authorities.

The university stated that a separate committee will soon be constituted to examine complaints that the assistant professor, identified as Ajit Kumar Jena, was reportedly harassed by the head of the social work department as Jena was a dalit. Jena reportedly sent emails the the VC on May 2 and 3 to lodge a complaint.

According to the original FIR filed by students with the Assam University police outpost, the professor allegedly made sexually explicit and defamatory remarks during academic meetings, issued threats of detention, and engaged in coercive tactics, including manipulating student testimonies. The students claim to possess mobile recordings, call logs, and other digital evidence to support their allegations.