Manipuri woman harassment case adjourned to June 3
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Madurai, May 31 2013 :
The Madras High Court has posted to June 3 hearing on the anticipatory bail application of M.Gnanavaram, principal of the Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary here in a case of alleged sexual harassment of a tribal woman from Manipur.
It is alleged that Gnanavaram (58) who was her guide, had allegedly abused and harassed her sexually from the time he took over as principal of the college in 2009 and had also withheld a scholarship to the tune of Rs 6.5 lakh due to her as she did not comply with his demands.
The woman had joined the seminary to pursue her doctoral studies in 2008 .
In his application, Gnanavaram contended that he is apprehending arrest at the hands of S.S.Colony police for the alleged offence under section 365 (Kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person) and under the Tamilnadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act.
Gnanavaram further submitted that he has been falsely implicated in the alleged offence.
The victim was not a defacto complainant and without her knowledge a complaint was made by his colleagues before the police due to enmity between him and some of his colleagues.
The principal also told the court that he will not abscond or evade justice or tamper with the witness and is willing to abide by any stringent conditions for grant of anticipatory bail.
When the petition came up before Justice P.Devadass on Thursday, he adjourned the matter to June 3 .
A section of the faculty of the seminary had approached the Madurai district collector Anshul Mishra in April this year demanding a probe into the allegations of sexual harassment, misappropriation of funds and nepotism against the principal.
The faculty had alleged that there were a large number of sexual harassment incidents in the past three years, but they were not reported.
Following this, the collector ordered the police to investigate the allegations against the principal.
The FIR was finally filed in the presence of the woman on Tuesday.
A case was registered under the provisions of SC/ST Act and Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act.