Assembly panel calls for suspension of college Dean

SHILLONG, June 28: The Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Committee for Empowerment of Women has called for immediate suspension of the Dean of College of Community Science, Tura.
The Committee has even a shot off a letter to Dr Anupam Mishra, Vice-Chancellor, Central Agricultural University, Imphal, in this regard.
The demand comes after it came to the notice of the Committee the allegations of exploitation of women employees in the College of Community Science, Central Agricultural University, Tura.
“After an FIR was filed with the Tura Police Station against the alleged exploitation, the accused threatened the complainant to withdraw the FIR. These are very serious allegations that require a thorough investigation by the state’s law agencies,” chairperson of the Committee Ampareen Lyngdoh said.
She said the Dean of the concerned college should be immediately suspended to ensure a fair inquiry into the allegations.
“We will allow the police to investigate further on the matter in response to the filed FIR,” Lyngdoh said, informing that the DGP has been asked to ensure maintenance of law and order in the college campus.
Asserting that the employees feel insecure as the Dean is mounting pressure on them to withdraw FIR, Lyngdoh said the Dean is resorting to all measures to put pressure and also intimidating staff on communal lines.
It may be mentioned that the two women including a security guard have accused the Dean of physically exploiting them.
According to the complainants, they have been sleeping at the quarter within the college campus for the past few months on the instruction of the Dean. They alleged that the Dean had forced them to do domestic work and physically exploited them with forced body massages.
When contacted, WGH SP, Vivekanand Singh, said that the case has been registered and the statement of one of the complainants has been recorded while the statement of the other complainant will be recorded on Tuesday.