Gulbarga: Recounting several instaÂnÂces of harassment by her guide Dr Dashrath Naik in the Department of Economics, Gulbarga UniÂveÂrsity, a woman research scholar says she was forced to watch video clippings of pornographic movies on his computer.
The victim told Deccan Chronicle that her guide made advances on many occasions, leaving her with no option but to complain to the head of the department, Prof Vasanth Sedam, Chairman of women’s harÂaÂssment committee, and Dean Dr Chaya DeogaoÂnÂkar and registrar Dr Chandrakanth Yatanoor. Besides constant harassment, she was also forced to pay more than Rs 1 lakh to “facilitate” completion of her thesis.
Things, however, moved only after she complained to deputy commissioner Dr N.V. Prasad on NovÂeÂmÂber 28, who in turn directed the police to register a case. The local police have sprÂead the net for Dr Naik.
‘My guide behaved inappropriately’
“During the last few days at least on three occasions, he (Dr Dashrath Naik, Associate ProfÂessor) made me remain alone in his chamber on the pretext of assisting him in his project work and made me look at video clips of pornographic films on his office computer.
While showing me the clips, he would look lewdly at my face as well as the monitor to read my response,” says a female research scholar at Gulbarga University. She suffered harassment at the hands of her guide, an assistant professor in the Department of Economics at the university.
Narrating her suffering at the hands of her guide Dr Naik, the second year PhD scholar told Deccan Chronicle on Tuesday that in the past few months, her guide had made many ‘advanÂces’ to lure her. The police have seized hard discs containing sleazy pictures from the computer of Dr Naik.
When the ordeal became unbearable, she brought it to the notice of Head of EconoÂmics Department Prof Vasanth Sedam, Chairman of Women’s Harassment Committee and Dean Dr Chaya Deogaonkar and the Registrar of University Dr Chandrakanth Yatanoor. But Naik told them not to interfere in his affairs with her.
“Finally, left with no alternative I approached the Deputy Commissioner Dr N.V. Prasad on November 28, who directed the police to register a case,” the girl stated.
Dr Naik had shown a special interest to take her as a research scholar under him. Initially she did not understand why he made her stay alone in his chamber for long hours. “Though I was made to remain in his office for about 8–10 hours a day, most of the time was spent assisting him with his project work,” the girl said.
When alone in her guide’s chamber, he would sometimes inquire about her health. “He would touch my cheek on the pretext of inquiring about my health. In the evenings he used to offer to drop me in his bike,” the girl stated.
In May 2012, Dr Naik had asked the girl to arrange for '50,000 to help him ‘facilitate’ completion of her PhD in 3 years. “Six moths after my brother made the payment, he asked me to arrange for another '50,000 with a warning that the progress report would not be forwarded,” the girl stated.
According to girl’s brother, a government primary school teacher in Afzalpur, Dr Naik’s greed for money did not end.
“Subsequently in September when my sister went to him for getting the scholarship form signed, he asked for a bribe of '8,000.” Dr Naik insisted that such practices were common. “As I expressed my inability to pay, he refused to sign the form for the last three months,” the girl’s brother narrated.
After registering the police case on November 28, the girl’s brother reportedly received threatening calls from associates as well as students of Dr Naik. He was also approached with an offer of ‘compensation’ for withdrawal of the case.
“Dr Naik himself has warned us of dire consequences if we persisted. Prof Khandoba, HOD, Kannada, warned me that he would get an atrocity case foisted on me if the case was not withdrawn. I have mobile recordings of the threatening calls I received,” he confided.
The Vice-Chancellor Dr E.T. Puttaiah is understood to have expressed his readiness to change the guide immediately besides arranging for payment of '1.5 lakh (which includes '50,000 compensation to the girl).” “But I did not agree as I felt that I should fight against these kinds of atrocities,” the girl stated.
Meanwhile the police are understood to have launched a search to arrest of Dr Naik, who is said to be absconding.
