The administration of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (HAU) has suspended two assistant professors following serious allegations of harassment and mental torture levelled against them by a PhD student. The accused faculty members have been identified as Naveen Kaushik and Ajit Sangwan (also reported as Ajeev Sangwan), both from the College of Biotechnology.
According to official sources, the female research scholar had initially submitted a complaint to the Dean of her college, alleging that the professors were sending her obscene messages via WhatsApp and attempting to lure her with undue favours. She claimed that despite her initial complaint, no concrete action was taken. Subsequently, she approached Vice-Chancellor Prof. B.R. Kamboj directly to narrate her ordeal.
Acting swiftly on the student’s complaint, Vice-Chancellor Kamboj ordered the immediate suspension of both accused professors to ensure a fair and impartial investigation. “The university has a zero-tolerance policy towards such misconduct. An inquiry committee has been constituted to probe the allegations in detail. The professors will remain under suspension until the investigation is completed,” a university spokesperson stated. The administration also assured that strict disciplinary action would be taken based on the committee’s findings.
This incident has caused a stir on the campus, with student groups demanding a transparent probe and greater safety measures for female scholars. This is not the first time HAU has faced such issues; a similar case was reported in September 2011 involving a professor from the Basic Science College.
