Sexual Harassment - Banaras Hindu University (BHU)

Protest in BHU after professor accused of sexual harassment is reinstated

Students of BHU are protesting against the alleged reinstatement of a professor who has been accused of molesting a girl student. Professor SK Chaube, according to BHU, was suspended soon after the allegations surfaced.

More than 50 understudies of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) are proceeding with a demonstration challenge requesting the sacking of an educator who supposedly made revolting signals and disgusting remarks during a scholarly excursion to Odisha last year

Yesterday late night the protest erupted, when more than a month after the university’s executive council reinstated the professor after an eight-month suspension.

The understudies had asserted that zoology teacher Shail Kumar Chaube of making foul motions and passing disgusting remarks during a scholarly visit in October a year ago. Chaube was restored in administration by the college's official committee, driven by BHU's VC Rakesh Bhatnagar. The EC renounced Chaube's suspension in June regardless of the proposals for severe activity by the college's Complaints Committee (ICC) which examined the claims. 

The primary challenge again Chaube started in October after the understudies came back from the voyage through Odisha. The understudies had documented an objection with college's ladies' complaint cell and furthermore presented the grumbling to BHU bad habit chancellor Rakesh Bhatnagar. 

"Prof Chaube took us to the Nandankanan Zoological Park and afterward to the Konark Sun Temple. During the visit to the sanctuary, he made indecent signals and passed disgusting remarks while clarifying about the symbols there," 

- the young ladies wrote in their grievance to the V-C. 

Subsequent to getting the objection, the V-C requested an inner test into the episode and suspended Chaube on October 24. The V-C likewise requested a test by the Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) of the varsity. 

Chaube claims he is blameless. 

"All claims against me are false. These charges were leveled by a couple of individuals jealous of my advancement. Alongside me, three different teachers, two lab specialists and a gatekeeper additionally went with the understudies during the visit. I just conveyed my obligation as an educator and a gatekeeper of the understudies, to guarantee the accomplishment of the scholastic visit." 

As per a senior authority of the varsity, the claims against Chaube were researched by the ICC for 40 days.

BHU Protest against Sexual Harassment

"The panel addressed every one of the understudies who documented the grumbling, onlookers and some others. The panel likewise addressed the blamed educator. Based on every one of the announcements, the panel observed charges against Chaube to be valid," 

The advisory group had suggested severe activity against Chaube in a report submitted to the varsity organization in December 2018. 

The report, which discovered Chaube blameworthy of the allegations leveled by the understudies, was postponed before the EC twice, first in January this year however didn't get any reaction from the EC. The report was postponed again before the official gathering led by the V-C in its gathering held in June. 

Notwithstanding, subsequent to reproaching the educator, the official gathering denied the suspension request and reestablished Chaube in the zoology office. He joined obligation in July. 

The college's choice to restore Chaube has insulted the understudies who has named it as a delicate reaction when he ought to have been sacked.. 

In any case, the V-C has denied claims that the denounced has been let off with 'light discipline and said that the he was a severe one which will affect Chaube's administration record. "Severe move has been made against Professor Chaube. He has been reprimanded and this activity has been incorporated into his administration record. He has additionally been given an exacting cautioning," the V-C said.

"After this activity, Prof Chaube will always be unable to hold any authoritative situation in any foundation. He will likewise never be given the obligation of scholarly visits," Bhatnagar said. 

The understudies have likewise requested that the V-C should hold an exchange with them. 

The BHU's representative additionally reverberated the V-C's stand that exacting move has been made. "The official committee of the varsity has given an exacting discipline to Prof Chaube and he won't have the option to hold any regulatory situation in future," PRO Dr Rajesh Singh said. 

The college's Neeraj Chauhan has said that the issue is relied upon to be postponed again before the EC in the wake of having a dialog with V-C.