The Crossbill News Desk
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has ordered the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations of sexual harassment against Rajesh Verma, the Vice Chancellor of Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya (RDVV), formerly known as Jabalpur University.
Justice Vishal Mishra of the Jabalpur bench passed the order, citing serious discrepancies in earlier inquiries conducted by the university and state authorities.
The court expressed concern over the disappearance of crucial CCTV footage and questioned the integrity of the earlier investigations, suggesting the possibility of complicity between officials and the university's leadership.
The court directed the state’s Director General of Police (DGP) to constitute an SIT comprising three senior IPS officers, including at least one woman officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police.
All members must be from outside Jabalpur district to ensure impartiality. The team will be headed by an officer of at least Inspector General (IG) rank and is required to submit its findings by June 16.
The directive comes after a woman employee of RDVV filed a complaint of sexual harassment against the Vice Chancellor. The state government had initially referred the case to the university’s internal complaints committee, which later submitted its findings to the High Court.
However, the court found multiple contradictions in the handling of the case. Notably, on February 7, 2025, RDVV's counsel assured the court that CCTV footage from the room where the alleged incident took place had been preserved. But a subsequent report by the internal committee claimed that the camera in that room was non-functional and no footage was available.
Due to the conflicting claims, the court had asked the Jabalpur Collector to examine the matter.
In his affidavit, the Collector stated he was “not satisfied” with the internal committee’s report or the manner in which the investigation had been carried out.
Justice Mishra observed that essential evidence, including the CCTV footage, was either not collected or overlooked, and that the internal committee made no substantial efforts to conduct a thorough probe.
The court strongly criticised the process, stating that it raised suspicions of collusion between the investigators and university authorities.
"This gives an impression that they are hand in glove with the officers of RDVV," the court noted.
It also took cognisance of the petitioner’s claim that the accused Vice Chancellor wields significant political influence, which could have compromised the earlier inquiry reports.
The court emphasized that it had granted multiple opportunities for a fair investigation, but the resulting reports were found to be unsatisfactory, further necessitating an independent and credible SIT probe.
Justice Vishal Mishra of the Jabalpur bench passed the order, citing serious discrepancies in earlier inquiries conducted by the university and state authorities.
The court expressed concern over the disappearance of crucial CCTV footage and questioned the integrity of the earlier investigations, suggesting the possibility of complicity between officials and the university's leadership.
The court directed the state’s Director General of Police (DGP) to constitute an SIT comprising three senior IPS officers, including at least one woman officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police.
All members must be from outside Jabalpur district to ensure impartiality. The team will be headed by an officer of at least Inspector General (IG) rank and is required to submit its findings by June 16.
The directive comes after a woman employee of RDVV filed a complaint of sexual harassment against the Vice Chancellor. The state government had initially referred the case to the university’s internal complaints committee, which later submitted its findings to the High Court.
However, the court found multiple contradictions in the handling of the case. Notably, on February 7, 2025, RDVV's counsel assured the court that CCTV footage from the room where the alleged incident took place had been preserved. But a subsequent report by the internal committee claimed that the camera in that room was non-functional and no footage was available.
Due to the conflicting claims, the court had asked the Jabalpur Collector to examine the matter.
In his affidavit, the Collector stated he was “not satisfied” with the internal committee’s report or the manner in which the investigation had been carried out.
Justice Mishra observed that essential evidence, including the CCTV footage, was either not collected or overlooked, and that the internal committee made no substantial efforts to conduct a thorough probe.
The court strongly criticised the process, stating that it raised suspicions of collusion between the investigators and university authorities.
"This gives an impression that they are hand in glove with the officers of RDVV," the court noted.
It also took cognisance of the petitioner’s claim that the accused Vice Chancellor wields significant political influence, which could have compromised the earlier inquiry reports.
The court emphasized that it had granted multiple opportunities for a fair investigation, but the resulting reports were found to be unsatisfactory, further necessitating an independent and credible SIT probe.
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