PU Senate sacks ‘dirty doctor’

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 3

The Panjab University (PU) Senate today unanimously decided to terminate the services of Dr Devinder Preet Singh of Dr HS Judge Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital for molesting and sexually harassing women students.

The PU Committee Against Sexual Harassment (PUCASH) had recommended a major penalty against him in its May 25 report. But the Senate, which is the punishing authority, had not met since then. 

Today, Senator Dr Ameer Sultana, who is a member of PUCASH, pleaded for taking up the case of dismissal of Dr Devinder Preet Singh three times. Otherwise, it would have been missed as there were a number of agenda items to be discussed.

Senator and Dean of Arts Prof Pam Rajput then proposed his dismissal on a condition that he would not get job anywhere else. The Senate approved the harshest punishment available in the PU calendar unanimously. 

This is the second such case in the PU this year where a teacher has been dismissed for repeatedly sexually harassing students. 

Earlier, Komal Singh, an assistant professor of the Department of Public Administration, was dismissed on May 27. However, he was given an option of seeking a job outside the PU. Many senators had come out in his support.

When PUCASH asked Dr Devinder Preet Singh whether he had sent any obscene or inappropriate images via WhatsApp to any girl student, he said he might have forwarded it on account of an inadvertent lapse as he had a touchscreen phone and “he receives obscene images on a WhatsApp group named dirty doctors”.

He had also sent “you are beautiful” text messages to some girl students.

The report, accessed by Chandigarh Tribune, shows the senior lecturer at PU’s dental institute pleaded guilty before the committee. “In response to all the complaints and queries put forward to me by the committee, I want to offer an unconditional apology to my dear students and will take care that I do not repeat them,” Dr Devinder Preet submitted.

He refused to cross-examine any of the complainants.

Other complaints

In one of the complaints, the committee found that Dr Devinder Preet Singh held the hands of an intern from behind, engulfing her. “The PUCASH was not satisfied with the respondent’s explanation regarding holding a glove and simulating milking of a cow and commenting tumhara dudh aisey nikalta hai,” says the report in case of another complaint. 

He remained silent on the issue of touching the badge on the chest of a girl student which was regarded by the student as an inappropriate touch.

In another complaint, he inappropriately touched the stomach of a girl student.

One of the students had complained, “Dr Devinder Preet has been sending me vulgar messages of whose copy/screenshots have already been submitted. He used to send me pornographic videos and message me late at night, which was very  absurd. When I used to be alone at home, he used to send me messages that he wants to come to my place. He used to ask me out for lunch and also send me cake, teddy with a heart holding in hands on my birthday which was very embarrassing receiving it from a faculty member at that post.”

One girl quoted an incident where he made a comment about penetration in front of her male friend.

Another student complained that the Dr Devinder Preet used to ask whom they were dating when they were posted at the Department of Orthodontics in January. He went to the Public Health Dentistry and told the students there, “Yeh kaisa batch bheja hai, wahan toh sari ladkian committed hai, koi fun nahi”.

A student complained that in February when she was alone in the OPD, the dentist asked, “Kaun hai boyfriend (Who is your boyfriend? Kisi ke saath toh hogi (You must be with someone)”. She had to call her friend to save her. 

Primary complaint

The PUCASH noted that it was clear that Dr Devinder Preet Singh had physically touched the prime complainant, a tribal student, inappropriately on her chest on the pretext of examining her. The matter had come to light in March. “He did so in full knowledge of his lack of qualification for the same and awareness of the guidelines of the Medical Council of India that a male doctor can examine a female patient only in the presence of her relative or a female staff member,” reads the report. After the case of tribal student, a number of women students came forward with complaints.