Mysore varsity in charge V-C held guilty of sexual abuse

Bengaluru, Sept 20: An internal probe conducted by the University of Mysore (UoM) has found Prof Dayanand Mane, senior professor and in-charge vice-chancellor, guilty of sexual harassment charges levelled by several female students of the varsity.

The Internal Complaints Committee of UoM, which probed the charges of sexual harassment against Mane, has recommended to the varsity to “withdraw/divest Mane of all powered positions, including chairmanship and deanship, with immediate effect”.

The Committee has also recommended to UoM to cancel Mane’s Research Guideship, as “the victims are research scholars”. The Committee, which initiated the probe at the behest of the Karnataka State Women’s Commission on January 21, 2016, met 17 times before submitting its report to the varsity on August 31, 2016. DH has accessed a copy of the report.

The five-member committee headed by professor and chairperson of Food Science and Nutrition, Asna Urooj, has made three major recommendations and 23 observations, despite the main victim turning hostile.

The Committee has observed that Mane has been acting as a sexual predator, victimising female students, especially those from oppressed sections, North Eastern states and from abroad. An unopened packet of condom discovered in his office drawer last year, is one of the main incriminating evidences against him, as per the report.

Witness account

The witnesses -- teaching and non-teaching faculty, and students, who deposed before the Committee -- stated that Mane would verbally abuse his research scholars in derogatory language.

While a student with disabilities was all the time humiliated, another research scholar alleged that he was forced to divorce his wife because of Mane’s conduct, the report stated.

While a Bangladeshi Law student is learnt to have levelled molestation charges against Mane, several female students have complained that he used to call them over phone and offer them rides in his car, the report said.

Secrecy & inaction

The 11-page report was kept under wraps since its submission last August. The then V-C of UoM, K S Rangappa, did not take any action against Mane. Instead, the ICC was dissolved much before its term ended in September 2017. Mane was only acting as the chairman of Department of studies in public administration at that time.

After Rangappa’s term ended in January this year, the committee members submitted a copy of the report to his successor, (acting V-C) Yashvantha Dongre. But he, too, did not act on the report.

Notwithstanding inaction from all quarters, the panel members then sent the report to Governor Vajubhai Vala in January, appealing to him to come to the rescue of scores of female students. Instead, Mane, despite the incriminating evidence against him, was elevated as the varsity’s in-charge V-C in March this year.