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BU professor suspended

BERHAMPUR: Botany professor of Berhampur University Ashok Panigrahy was suspended on Saturday night following harassment charges against him.Chairperson of the State Women’s Commission Namita Panda reached the university campus on Sunday to start independent enquiry of the commission into the matter. She held in camera interrogation of the victim girl, the professor and other related persons of the university.

She expressed her displeasure over ‘Women’s Complaint Cell’ remaining inactive in the university. She said she would file her report to the State Government for necessary action. Interrogation of the girl continued till late evening on the university campus.

Vice-Chancellor B.K.Sahu suspended Mr Panigrahy following the decision of the syndicate of the university regarding the matter. On Saturday evening the syndicate had recommended disciplinary action against the professor. The Syndicate members discussed the enquiry report filed by the three-member committee on the allegations made by the girl.

In another major move the university authorities also decided to pass the girl in the third semester in which she had failed. The girl, a student of the biotechnology department had lodged a written complaint to the Vice-Chancellor on April 9. She had alleged that Prof Panigrahy had intentionally failed her in the third semester as she did not bow down to the malafide intentions of the professor, who was then the coordinator of the department.

She did not get even pass marks in her seminar dissertation paper. But the professor alleged that the girl had failed due to errors of the examination section. But investigations found no hand of examination section in the failing of the girl. So, it was also decided to pass the girl as the authorities she was allegedly intentionally by her departmental head.

According to university authorities further investigations would be conducted for departmental action against the professor.

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