NLUJAA Guwahati vice-chancellor (VC) Prof JS Patil has gone on leave pending the resolution of the sexual harassment allegations against him in an FIR filed by his neighbours.
Patil has also retracted the statement he had made to Legally India yesterday that he had the support the university’s chancellor, Gauhati High Court chief justice Ajai Lamba, who had counselled him to remain as VC and to file a counter FIR.
Patil told us today in a message:
I retract the statement that I have filed FIR against the person with due permission of superior authorities. Rather I have filed FIR on my own accord.
I also retract my statement that the statement that the Chancellor has advised me to continue in office. I am going on leave until the matter is cleared.
It is understood that VCs can generally go on leave by informing a national law university’s chancellor of this decision.
Faculty allege defamation over second part of yesterday’s statement
Update 15:07: 13 faculty members have made a press release in response to the another part of the comments made by Patil that we had published on Legally India yesterday, particularly over his response to historical allegations against him for allegedly sexually harassing statements made about faculty members.
The faculty members stated (full letter below):
This rejoinder is issued in response to a news item published by an online news portal, Legally India, titled “NLU Assam VC JS Patil denies, files counter FIR vs neighbours’ sex harass allegations, claims backing of CJ-chancellor”, published on Saturday, 25th July, 2020…
In the interview, Prof. Patil refutes historical allegations of using harassing language with female faculty members as well as using sexist language while talking to female faculty members. This statement of Prof. Patil is vehemently contested here.
In the past, Prof. Patil has made sexist remarks and used sexually harassing language with the members of the faculty, both female and male. The faculty members had duly submitted a petition on December 14, 2016 detailing the sexually harassing language used by Prof. Patil to the then Hon’ble Chancellor of National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam, Justice Shri Ajit Singh.
Justice Singh along with Justice Shri Hrishikesh Roy, the then member of the General Council of the University, had intervened and taken steps to ameliorate the sufferings of the faculty members.
Further, Prof. Patil states that allegations that he had used harassing language with female faculty members, had all been made to “tarnish the image of me and my University” and on being asked to respond to using sexist language in talking to female faculty members, he said that the accusation is absolutely wrong.
This is to make it clear that the petition submitted by the faculty members to the then Hon’ble Chancellor of the University regarding the sexually harassing language being used by him was not done to tarnish the reputation of the University but to be provided with a distress free environment at our workplace.
The faculty members also pointed out that the university’s registrar had backed the vice chancellor, alleging faculty members were conspiring against Patil for urging the university to file an FIR about the allegations that Patil had sexually harassed a neighbours’ family.
The faculty members also took objection to Patil having stated that he had the support of the chief justice, saying that: “Such a statement would intimidate, demoralize and frighten the complainants and all those who have raised their concern on this matter.
“Such a statement may also raise concerns on whether a fair investigation of the matter would take place. We believe it is inappropriate on the part of Prof. Patil to make such statements of having the support of the Hon’ble Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court when investigation on the matter has been duly initiated by the police.”
Finally, the teachers noted that Patil’s “false, unfounded and defamatory allegations made against us in the above-mentioned news item on Legally India consternates us”, and that they had reported those commentsto the National Commission for Women.
[documentcloud http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7006941-NLUJAA-Faculty-Rejoinder-to-VC-statements.html Faculty statement against NLUJAA VC quotes denying earlier comments]### Student bar pushed for VC stepping down
The university’s student bar council (SBC) had yesterday also made a press release, which, amongst other points (see full statement below):
1. Condemns the statements made by the Vice-Chancellor which may derail the hope of a fair trial, intimidate the complainants, blame the students, faculty and staff members of conspiracy and may defame the position of the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court.
2. Reiterates it’s demand that the Vice-Chancellor shall step down from his position, temporarily, till the investigation against him is over.
Comments
You, sir, should try do that (taking photos) when something horrible happens to you. All the best trying to suppress your shock, terror, other emotions.
Equating this act with rape is a horribly bad simile. No rational being would ever question a rape victim that when she was being raped why she did not take out her mobile to make a video of her rape.
But, when someone is continuously repeating an indecent activity and you (read complainant) are watching the same from a distance from your own house, the question is why did you (read complainant) lose a golden chance to click the photos of the accused?
Is it so irrelevant a question, Sir or Madam?
- Menon's ideas on adivasis rights on forests wouldn't allow you to back him of being free of such comments/thoughts.
Sudhir may have known all of them - might even have solicited their applications. But is there any proof at all that he blocked an application from someone else that he didn’t know who was just as good? Or that other members of the selection committee were overruled and proper procedure not followed? The fact that Sudhir knew them is not the smoking gun it’s made out to be. And it certainly isn’t a scandal in the same way that this Assam VC stuff is.
Sudhir's recruitment is certainly not a scandal similar to the allegations against Patil. However, the conversation in the comments was about people who had been VCs and had a spotlessly clean record. Even then it was the bhakts who raised the name of a guy who has been in-charge less than an year. People rightly pointed out the various 'daags' on his track-record. No one said it is the same as allegations of sexual harassment. Though, let me add that Sudhir was very quiet when allegations of such a nature were made against someone who went to the law school around the time he did and has made a career in the name field as him.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Nalsar-student-misbehaves-with-flight-stewardess-held/articleshow/48752522.cms
https://www.deccanchronicle.com/150901/nation-crime/article/law-student-allegedly-films-and-touches-air-hostess-arrested
Either get an FIR on him and go after him. Do not indulge in mud slinging. I am sure you would not want to be reminded of something terrible you might have done in past. Also, the matter is resolved amicably so let him be.
If possible remove the name of individual. We really need to put things to rest at some point!
At NUJS, a former Asst Registrar was allowed "leave" by a "sympathetic" VC (he had his "reasons") after the former faced SH charges by the VC's PA. The game of leaves continued till the victim initiated police action. Then another round of drama went on concerning the composition of ICC. Everything was designed to drag out the process so that a "compromise" can be worked out. Later the ICC found the Asst Registrar guilty but the VC kept misleading the EC to ensure that the Asst Registrar was allowed 100% subsistence allowance without any checks.
Between mid-2013 and mid-2019, the Asst Registrar received Rs 50 lacs in "subsistence allowance" (and of course arrears under 7th Central Pay Commission). Although the EC has now stopped further payments and the Asst Registrar has gone to court, the new VC is killing off inquiries.
The "sympathetic" VC mentioned earlier, was allowed to resign and run away to KSLU. The new VC for obvious reasons has been quietly killing off all inquiries.
It is entirely possible that you are the special friend of the former NUJS Asst Registrar who had facilitated the "sympathetic" deal and is now trying very hard to restart it under the new VC who shares enthusiasm in other deals that you have offered.
Recently JSP had come to NUJS to chair a panel that decided faculty promotions etc. JSP along with another VC having a dubious record championed the promotion of an Asst Prof to Associate Prof rank. This was quietly supported by the new VC.
Will be too much of a coincidence if the person who calls me a troll also happens to be the one who [...]
The UGC that you wanted deployed against Rather Particular has now been deployed to question the JSP and NKC led bump from Asst Prof to Assoc Prof. Do you deny that this matter did not attract the attention of the EC where your dear friend NKC and his patron AG struck a compromise and sent the matter for "inquiry" to AG's colleague who is again very coincidentally called AM!
Maybe this AM will also come to your aid. But you already know that especially when you know how NKC and AG "settled" the inquiry into the allegations of irregularities in the 2017 faculty recruitment. Or how the inquiry into the distance education scam nearly got "settled" but could not get buried due to the intervention of another AM.
Hence the reason NKC wants to convene EC only when this particular AM retires or gets replaced by his friend in the SC.
Things will be a lot less "anonymous" if your friend NKC were to transparently upload things on the university website.
Of course there is always the time tested method of dragging the matter to the court and the slow wheels of justice. But before that diluted investigation by police.
How strange that JSP takes leave and scampers off without any scrutiny or discussion by higher authorities or those that grace the governing bodies of NLU Assam. Note the silence of the Chancellor/CJ.
Btw did/is JSP consult(ing) with a judge-turned-parliamentarian who has wide expertise on killing (all puns intended) SH? Oops will the hammer of contempt (even more powerful than Thor's) fall on me? The way law is being interpreted and abuses made legal, anything is possible.