Kanupriya forces PUCASH hearing adjournment

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 21

A Panjab University Committee Against Sexual Harassment (PUCASH) meeting had to be adjourned today after high drama as student council president Kanupriya pressed to be part of the proceedings. She said she had come in support of the victim.

The PUCASH was to conduct proceedings in a case where a woman student had approached it a second time against a water sports coach of the university. The first time, she had withdrawn her complaint. However, on the second occasion, she had come up with fresh evidence of “stalking on the phone”. She had also submitted a recording of phone calls.

When the hearing started today, Kanupriya told PUCASH members that she had come after the victim and her mother approached her. “The members asked me whether I doubted their integrity. My point was that someone has to stand by the victim. With a lot of courage, she has made the complaint. It was the fourth hearing and nothing has come out. She asked me to accompany her and see what happens,” said Kanupriya.

“The victim is being harassed during PUCASH hearings. She was being told that her career would be ruined. The suspect could lose his job. She was also being told that she wouldn’t get such a coach again,” said the student council president.

However, the president of the PUCASH, Prof Manvinder Kaur, said, “We can’t allow a third person to be a part of the proceedings. It will not be allowed.”

A member of the PUCASH said on condition of anonymity that the case was under investigation and the victim was being asked to give evidence and she was not being harassed. The member said no one was taking the side of the coach and the inquiry had to be completed within 90 days and only two months had passed.

The case

This time, it was alleged that even as the coach apologised last time, he did not mend his ways and had been “stalking her on the phone”. He had been pressing her for a friendship, which the student had been declining.

In May, the student had alleged that the coach had told her that if she did not agree to a friendship with him, her career would be finished. He had been trying to lure her by claiming that he would help her play at the international level.

The water sports coach, who is also a member of a federation, had then told the PUCASH that it was a mistake on his part and he would not do it again. The matter had ended in reconciliation.