College professor booked in Chennai after ex-student files sexual harassment complaint

Chennai, April 1 (IANS) Chennai police have registered an FIR against an assistant professor of an arts college belonging to the Kalakshetra Foundation, after a former girl student filed a sexual harassment complaint.

The assistant professor, Hari Padman, was booked under the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Woman Act.

The Adayar All women police registered the FIR against Hari Padman after the girl student met the Chennai city police commissioner Shankar Jiswal who promptly forwarded the complaint to the Adayar Women Police station.

Hundreds of girls from the Kalakshetra Foundation conducted a sit-in dharna on Friday complaining of sexual harassment and sending obscene messages against four male faculty members.

Addressing reporters here, the Tamil Nadu Women's Commission chairperson A.S. Kumari said that several complaints were received from girl students against teachers on sexual harassment.

The chairperson also met several students and teachers as well as the director of the Kalakshetra foundation, Revathi Ramachandran.

It is to be noted that several girl students have in private said that they were not able to go to the institution for fear of being sexually harassed.

The girl students have also complained to the Union Ministry of Culture about the harassment meted out to them and requested for stern action against those responsible.