JORHAT, Sept 8 - An agriculture graduate from the Assam Agricultural University (AAU), who is seeking admission to the post-graduate programme this year, has lodged a complaint with the Sexual Harassment Committee of AAU against a senior professor of sexually harassing her at his cabin in the Jorhat campus of the university at Borbheta here on Friday.
According to an AAU source, the candidate seeking admission to a PG programme has alleged in her complaint that on Friday when she went to the cabin of the professor in the Department of Economics and Farm Management to know about the seat availability for third counselling in master�s degree, the said professor sexually harassed her.
She alleged that on the pretext of showing her the availability of seats, the professor called her by his side to show the same on his desktop computer and touched her cheeks and held her back.
The candidate further alleged that the professor suddenly kissed her. �All these happened all of a sudden following which I was shocked and could not react,� the girl stated in her complaint.
When contacted, the AAU�s acting Vice-Chancellor Dr Ashok Bhattacharyya, who is the Director of Research (Agriculture), told The Assam Tribune from North Lakhimpur that he was on an official tour to the North Bank districts and has come to know about the complaint.
Bhattacharyya said that after receiving the complaint from the girl, the Dean (Faculty of Agriculture) Dr Jayanta Deka forwarded the same to the Internal Sexual Harassment Committee of the university, headed by him (Dr Deka).
Bhattacharyya said that the committee took the statements of both the complaintant and the accused separately on Saturday.
The acting Vice-Chancellor said that the committee after hearing both the sides submitted their opinion on the matter in a sealed cover to the AAU Registrar Arpan Saikia, who will be handing over the same to him (Bhattacharyya) on Monday, when he will be in his office.
Bhattacharyya said based on the remarks given by the committee he will decide accordingly on what action, if required, needs to be initiated.
