PIMS college students protest, demand full compliance with ICC report in sexual harassment case
Puducherry: A group of students from the College of Health Sciences under the Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Kalapet staged a protest on campus recently.
The students have demanded full institutional compliance with the inquiry report that recommended action against two lab technicians accused of sexual harassment.
The students, a day earlier, called off their protest after reaching an agreement with the college management. However, they resumed their protests on Thursday, alleging that the college administration had failed to fully comply with the ICC's recommendations. The students gathered in front of the college with slogans demanding justice for the victims of abuse.
According to The Hindu report, the students said that the institute's internal complaints committee, after finding the complaints genuine, had recommended termination of one of the accused and the transfer of the other to another sub-centre of PIMS.
On this, a PIMS spokesperson said that, based on the ICC report, one of the accused has been dismissed and the other has been suspended for a certain period. The institute is prepared to consider the ICC's recommendation for transfer to another centre after the suspension period is complete.
The spokesperson further said that the students, who were possibly agitated on seeing the accused back in the institute after completing the suspension period, have been assured that further action in the matter can be considered when the PIMS Director, who is currently out of town, returns early next week.
Meanwhile, police arrived on campus and spoke with institute representatives and students. Based on the students' complaint, the police have launched an investigation.
