A girl student of Assam Agricultural University (AAU) has complained against a 63-year-old professor of the university accusing him of sexual harassment.
The student of the College of Agriculture, AAU, lodged a complaint with the sexual harassment committee of the university against senior professor Jyoti Gogoi of sexually harassing her.
According to an AAU source, the student seeking admission to a PG programme, has alleged in her complaint that on Friday when she had gone to the cabin of professor Gogoi, the professor had sexually harassed her.
Gogoi is a professor in the department of Economics and Farm Management of the university.
The girl went to Gogoi’s cabin to know about the seat availability for third counselling in master’s degree.
The student alleged that on the pretext of showing the availability of seats the professor, called her to his side to show her the list on his desktop computer and touched her cheeks and held her back.
The student, who hails from Nagaon, further alleged that the professor suddenly kissed her.
“All these happened in a split second and I was too shocked to react in that moment,” the girl stated in her complaint.
The source said that transpired following the act was that a huge mob of students gathered to protest against the same and the authorities removed the professor from counselling duties.
When contacted, the AAU vice-chancellor (Acting) Dr Ashok Bhattacharyya said that he was on an official tour in the North bank districts and had come to know about the complaint.
Bhattacharyya said that after receiving the complaint from the girl, the dean, faculty of agriculture, Jayanta Deka forwarded the same to the sexual harassment committee of the university, headed by him (Dr Deka).
He said that the committee recorded the statements of both the complainant and the accused separately on Saturday.
A source said that the committee had recommended that Gogoi should not come into contact with students.
The committee after hearing from both sides has submitted their opinion on the matter in a sealed cover to the AAU Registrar Arpan Saikia.
Saikia will submit the same to VC Bhattacharyya on Monday when he will be in his office.