Hyderabad: Maulana Azad National Urdu University VC takes abuse cases to panel
Hyderabad: A complaint has been registered with the National Commission for Women by MANUU Chancellor Firoz Bakht Ahmed for alleged sexual harassment of two students by the head of the department of the Media Centre of Journalism at MANUU. The two representations by the victims were brought to his notice after he was appointed chancellor of the university. He alleged that the university has no proper cell or system to look into sexual harassment cases.
“The two representations were brought to my notice by the two girls after I was appointed chancellor of the university. The cases were ghastly and I wanted to bring these to the notice of the National Commission for Women. It is a matter of utmost perturbation for me to receive the two representations from the girls studying in the Media Centre for Journalism regarding their sexual and subsequently, mental and social harassment at the hands of the head of the department of MCJ,” the Chancellor of the Maulana Azad National Urdu University said.
He said that “in a letter in my mobile WhatsApp, dated October 18, 2018, one of the victims wrote to me about how on account of petty and unfounded charges, she was unlawfully literally thrown out of the hostel and harassed by Prof. Ehtesham Ahmad Khan, HoD, for just being a participant in protests. In a shocking act by the MANUU administration, the student was expelled from the hostel for an entire semester without being given an opportunity to explain her version.”
He said the second victim complained to the Human Rights Commission of Telangana, Hyderabad about the trauma of being sexually harassed.
Tasleem, who wrote to the Human Rights Commission of Telangana, Hyderabad told this newspaper, “I was pursuing my studies in MANUU quite diligently till HoD, MCJ Prof. Ehtesham Ahmad Khan started making oral and physical advances. When I firmly discouraged his sexually burdened moves, he started harassing and humiliating me. I have also gone to Raidurgam Police Station and given an oral complaint, the acknowledgement of which was not given to me and till date I have not got justice. I demand justice from the university.”
The university authorities said her allegations were rejected after a thorough inquiry by the Internal Complaints Committee.
Tasleem says she is “seeking the kind intervention of the Commission in the matter of my harassment, humiliation and spoiling of my academic career and social standing by the authorities of Maulana Azad National Urdu University. I come from a poor and downtrodden family. My father is a fruit vendor.”
Chancellor Ahmed say he wants the guilty to be punished in such a way that “these sexual predators or their supporters think 300 times before outraging the modesty of girl students who are sent by their parents on trust and faith that they are safe in the university. It should set an example for all Indian universities.”
When contacted by this newspaper the HoD denied all the allegations against him.
