PU profs’ spat on Syndicate agenda

Ishrat S Banwait

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 20

 A scuffle between two Panjab University professors over roof usage in the residential area on the campus will be taken up in the Syndicate meeting on Sunday. It was highlighted in these columns that the fight had reached the Registrar as the professors had refused to settle the issue amicably. A second case of sexual harassment against assistant professor Komal Singh of the public administration department will also be taken up at the meeting.

 On June 9, Gurdip Singh of the applied sciences department of the UIET and chairperson of the human genome department Ranvir Singh were called to the Registrar’s office. The agenda for the Syndicate meeting stated that a committee was formed by the VC to resolve the issue, but Ranvir Singh showed contempt and utter disregard to the panel.

 “Ranvir had also alleged physical assault by Gurdip which might be forwarded to the police as the university had failed to solve the issue,” stated the agenda item. It was recommended that both professors should resolve the issue amicably, failing which their allotment would be cancelled and the complaint would be forwarded to the police.

 Komal Singh has already been dismissed from the university as he was found guilty in a sexual harassment case. He was also found guilty in another such case by PU CASH. A complaint was filed by a BSc third year student in April against Komal Singh. The complainant was at the house of Komal Singh when the incident occurred. The complainant’s witnesses told the committee that he was drunk at the time and that they had informed a security officer about the incident.