PANJIM: The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) State leaders on Monday met Goa University Vice Chancellor Harilal B Menon at the campus and submitted a memorandum demanding speedy justice to the victims of the sexual harassment cases.
In the memorandum, the NSUI leaders expressed outrage regarding two incidents of sexual harassment involving a professor at Goa University and a police officer overseeing interns from the university.
“Both this incidents have caused immense distress to the victims and have shaken the trust and confidence in the institutions they represent,” the memorandum read.
The NSUI leaders also demanded that the sexual harassment victims be given justice as soon as possible.
The Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) should utilise its powers should immediately act whenever a complaint is received from the students, they demanded.
The NSUI leaders alleged that the university’s internal complaint committee did not take any action since May 2023 when the student had filed a complaint against the police officer to the ICC.
“ICC is non active and never takes proactive steps towards women safety on campus. We strongly condemn this act by ICC and demand the authorities to introspect and take actions against the ICC and give justice to students,” the memorandum read.
Later, speaking to O Heraldo, NSUI State unit president Naushad Chaudhary alleged that the internal complaint committees are not taking the issue of women safety seriously.
“The issue of sexual harassment by a police officer overseeing interns from the university is pending for the last so many months. Why has the police officer not called for a single hearing? We demanded that he should be called immediately,” he said.
However, the university administration said that the committees are meeting on time and assured that nobody found guilty will be spared.
The administration accepted that there were more than one complaints and even one professor had opted for voluntary retirement following a complaint against him by a student.
