Friday, July 02, 2010

• Researchers lodged written complaint with VC
• The Syndicate will decide on further action

Mangalore: Two women researchers who were working on a project in Mangalore University have resigned because of alleged harassment by their principal investigator.

The research fellows lodged a written complaint with the Vice-Chancellor of the university, T.C. Shivashankara Murthy, and also spoke to him about the matter on June 15, sources close to the complainants told The Hindu. The complainants joined the project as research fellows in July 2009. In the letter, a copy of which is available with The Hindu, they gave details about the nature of the harassment that they were subjected to before the principal investigator “compelled” them to resign. He is said to have forced them to resign following an incident of alleged misbehaviour on June 8 with another woman researcher in the principal investigator's chamber while one of the complainants was working.

The complainants said in the letter: “On various occasions in the past, the principal investigator has been trying to get an opportunity to find us alone in his chamber or take us alone for field trips or calling (us) alone on Sundays and holidays.” He also made them work until 10.30 p.m. despite requests from the complainants that they would complete the work the next day, they said. A source close to one of the complainants said that on several occasions the principal investigator had tried to misbehave with them. Such behaviour began around a month after the project began.
Vice-Chancellor Murthy said that he had asked the project investigator and the chairperson of the department concerned to give their responses to the complaint in writing. Following that, the matter would be placed before the Syndicate. “The Syndicate will decide on further action, if any,” Mr. Murthy said and added that if the allegations were found to be true, the university would “take it very seriously”.

Asked whether the Women's Harassment Combat Cell had received the complaint, Mr. Murthy said he did not know, but maintained that K.K. Vijayalakshmi was its chairperson. However, it was learned that Ms. Vijayalakshmi's tenure had ended about six months ago. The chairperson of the Department of Business Administration, Mustiary Begum, took charge around four months ago, but was not aware of the matter.

The complainants have demanded that “strict action” be taken against the principal investigator and that he be changed so that they can complete their research. Denial

When contacted by The Hindu on Wednesday, the principal investigator of the project denied the allegations. He claimed that the researchers had not been doing their work properly. “I have replied to the Registrar's letter seeking explanation why the researchers have resigned, but I have not been asked to respond to allegations of any harassment.” In his reply he had raised 10 points about their work, he added.