Introduction
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has seriously taken cognisance of the complaint of mishandling a sexual harassment case against the Vice-Chancellor of Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya (RDVV) Jabalpur. The court has ordered the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a fair and unbiased inquiry into the case.
Background
One female officer at RDVV made a complaint of sexual harassment in the workplace by Vice-Chancellor Rajesh Kumar Verma. The complaint was said to have been made on November 21, 2024, when the VC was said to have made indecent gestures and also made inappropriate comments during a meeting in his office with other people present.
Following inaction by the university administration, the aggrieved officer approached the High Court seeking justice. She had also filed a request under the Right to Information Act (RTI) for the CCTV footage of the incident, which was allegedly not provided.
The government of the state apprised the court that a six-member in-house committee was constituted and that CCTV footage was retained. It was, however, disclosed that the video shoot in the VC’s office was not presented to the committee. The university subsequently averred that the CCTV system had been faulty and hence the footage could not be accessed.
Key Points
The High Court bench, headed by Justice Vishal Mishra, was not satisfied with the unprofessional and biased conduct of the investigation.
The report of the district collector did not make it clear if the VC’s room CCTV camera was functioning on the day of the incident.
The investigating committee proved to be unconcerned about gathering evidence or carrying out a genuine inquiry.
The court was apprised that the accused VC was politically connected, which created suspicion of bias and interference in the investigation.
The court ordered the CCTV systems to be subjected to forensic inspection to determine their operational status.
Recent Trends
This case features an emerging judicial trend in which courts act proactively in such sensitive cases relating to workplace sexual harassment, particularly where inbuilt machinery seems to be under strain or ineffective. It signifies the mounting focus on:
Effective and impartial investigation systems
Whistleblower and victim protection within institutions of learning
Institutional accountability
Conclusion
The MP High Court’s move to constitute a three-member SIT, headed by an IG-rank officer and consisting of a woman SP-rank officer, reflects its determination towards merit-based justice in sexual harassment cases. By keeping local Jabalpur officers out of the SIT and obtaining technical examination of evidence, the court aims to instil confidence in the investigation process and reassert the rule of law. This case strengthens the judiciary’s position in upholding the dignity and rights of women in the workplace, particularly in strong institutions such as universities.
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WRITTEN BY AYUSHI TRIVEDI
