Chennai police arrest Kalakshetra dance teacher in sexual harassment case

Chennai: Days after a cross-section of students of Kalakshetra Foundation, a prestigious institution in Chennai that functions under the Union Ministry of Culture, had protested complaining of sexual harassment, the Chennai Police on Monday arrested an assistant professor Hari Padman in connection with the case. He was produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody. 

Hari was accused by some female students of sexually inappropriate conduct with them. Initially, the Foundation had closed the complaint and the National Commission for Women too gave a clean chit to the institution. However after protests grew louder, the Tamil Nadu State Women’s Commission stepped in and its Chairperson A S Kumar received over 90 written complaints.

Sources indicated severe actions including dismissal

It is learnt some male students had also accused two men working in the institution of sexually predatory behavior. Kumari told journalists that the Commission had also asked the Foundation Director Revathi Ramachandran not to allow three other faculty members Sanjith Lal, Sai Krishnan and Sreenath to enter the campus pending inquiry. Sources in the Foundation indicated that severe action including dismissal from service is being considered against some of the faculty members should the complaints against them be proven during an inquiry. 

Meanwhile, Foundation Director Revathi Ramachandran appeared before the TNSWC on Monday as she was not available when Kumari had visited the campus last week. 

Kumari told journalists that Revathi was summoned for preliminary questions on the allegations raised by the students and also about the functioning of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Internal Committee in the institution.