Agencies/New Delhi


Scores of students yesterday protested outside the St Stephen’s College in New Delhi demanding an external inquiry into the alleged molestation of a research scholar from the college and the immediate resignation of principal Valson Thampu.
“An external inquiry should be conducted into the role of the principal. He should be made to resign immediately,” Devansh Mehta, a protestor, said.
The students also demanded action against professor Satish Kumar, who is accused of molesting the research scholar.
“The student should be allowed to complete her Ph D on time. Also, the supervisor should be re-assigned,” another protestor said adding that a letter was sent to Delhi University Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh and the head of the department of chemistry where Satish Kumar worked.
Alleging that Thampu tried to dissuade the student from filing the case, the protesters said previous cases of sexual harassment in the college were also not addressed properly.
“Thampu tried to dissuade her from filing a case. He tried to resolve things between them internally, which was wrong,” Mehta said.
The students alleged that the college administration was more concerned about the reputation of the institute, rather than providing justice to the victims.
The protesting students said they would take their demands to the human resource development ministry and women and child ministry as well.
“We want an impartial and independent inquiry into the dubious role played by the principal and want that till this inquiry is ongoing, he steps down from his post. We strongly believe that he will influence such an investigation,” another student said.
“We have ample evidence that he has been backing sexual harassment perpetrator encouraging him and discouraging the complainant from pursuing her complaint. By saying that we (women’s organisations) are misguiding the complainant, this shows that he does not want justice to be done,” women’s rights activist Kavita Krishnan said.
The Delhi High Court on Friday had stayed the arrest Satish Kumar.  Meanwhile Thampu said he would resign if he was proved guilty of protecting the professor accused of molesting the research student.
“I will resign, when the time comes and if charges are proved against me,” Thampu said.
On Sunday, the principal claimed “the victim is being used against him” and said a forensic investigation of the “purported” recordings will clear the air.
“I feel sorry for the victim. She is being misled and is being used against me by certain elements in the college only. She has admitted herself to the media that she released the audio recordings as advised by a ‘teacher’,” Thampu told the Press Trust of India news agency.
“She is not understanding that she is being guided or prompted by certain people to serve their ulterior purposes. The end of this can only be destruction because the truth cannot be hidden,” he added.
The research scholar approached the police last week with four recordings that she claimed to have made during her meetings with the principal where he had allegedly pressured her to withdraw the complaint.
While Thampu maintains that the recordings have been “mischieviously edited”, he said the editors did not do a good job.
“The purported tapes have statements contrary to allegations raised by the complainant against me. I am disappointed as a better job could have been done in editing the recordings,” Thampu said.
“I have good reasons to believe that the truth will come out if the tapes are subjected to forensic investigation.”
The complainant approached police on June 19 alleging she was molested by Satish Kumar. She had also accused Thampu of “criminally intimidating” her to give a written application to him expressing her consent to close the matter in the college itself in order to not cause any delay or problems in completion of her Ph D”.
While the demand for Thampu’s resignation is growing louder, the HRD ministry has asked the University Grants Commission to ensure the probe is completed by the college’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) “expeditiously” and “impartially”.
The victim, however, has refused to appear before the ICC, saying she has no faith in its proceedings, PTI added.