Indore: Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court has sought IIT-Indore response on a petition filed by a PhD scholar alleging harassment. “Court in June had given four weeks to the institute to file its reply but it did not respond.
The court has now given two more weeks to the institute to submit its reply,” said Pushyamitra Bhargav, counsel of PhD scholar Shyam Singh. Singh had moved the court accusing his guide Dr Hem Chandra Jha of harassment and sought orders facilitating completion of his degree.
He had named Jha, Union HRD minister and IIT Indore as respondents. In his petition, Singh alleged that institute authorities were not allowing to pursue PhD without assigning any reason.
He claimed that even his fellowship was withheld since January. The petitioner had also accused Jha of not allowing him to work further in the lab without assigning any valid reason.
The petition had further accused institute and Jha of jeopardizing his career by not making payment of $750 to a publication house for publication of his manuscript in Journal of Oncology.
Singh requested the court to order release of his fellowship from April onwards and allow him to complete his degree.
He also requested for court orders to the institute to allow him free entry and facilities to any laboratory identified as suitable by him to complete his pending work.
The court has also been requested to direct the institute for release of $750 as payment of article publication charges in Journal of Oncology. The next hearing in the case has been set for October 1.
