PANAJI
Goa University on Monday suspended an assistant professor of Physics on allegations of leaking an examination paper to a female student pending inquiry. The varsity, which has so far denied any such charges claiming to have not received any paper leak complaint, has set up a two-member fact-finding committee which has been ordered to submit a report within 48-hours.
In an order issued, the Vice Chancellor Harilal Menon has suspended assistant professor Dr Pranav Naik, from the School of Physical and Applied Sciences, until further orders pending inquiry proceedings.
Menon said that the suspension was issued on the basis of allegations made against the professor for “disclosing [the] exam question paper to a female student” as reported in media that subsequently led to two police complaints.
While the first complaint was lodged on Sunday by activist Kashinath Shetye and other like-minded citizens, the Congress-affiliated National Students Union of India (NSUI) lodged a complaint on Monday at Agassaim police station. The police are yet to register an FIR into the complaints.
The BJP-affiliated Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) held a protest outside the Vice Chancellor’s Office demanding an inquiry into the incident. They demanded immediate suspension of the professor. Following this, the varsity swung into action.
After being countered by the ABVP, Menon said that the University has not received any complaint from any student or faculty member that the question paper was leaked. He narrated an incident that took place in September, last year, during second semester.
“There was absolutely no complaint that the question paper was leaked. No student or faculty member approached us with any complaint and hence the question of any inquiry does not arise,” he said.
“It was only said that somebody had entered my (the informant’s) cabin one evening between 5.30 to 6 pm. And the Dean has asked him (the accused assistant professor). His reply was, “I had gone there to take a chemical, for analysis for my student”. He apologized for the same and said sorry. That is all he said,” the Vice Chancellor revealed.
Menon informed that following media reports and police complaint, the Varsity has set up a two-member fact-finding committee under senior Deans to get into the details and if there is any substance in the allegations then the action as per law will be initiated.
“I admit without fire there is no smoke... so, we have constituted a fact-finding committee. So, I asked the fact-finding committee to submit the report in 48 hours. Within 48 hours if I find that there is some substance in that, we will go further and conduct an inquiry and disciplinary action will be taken…legal proceedings will follow,” he said.
While informing that the findings of the committee will be made public, Menon said that if found guilty serious action in the form of termination of services would be initiated against the alleged professor.
Earlier, after filing a complaint, NSUI leader Naushad Choudhary said the theft of the question paper amounted to injustice to several other students who had appeared for the examination. "A girl student, who is average, has topped in the examination, while those who had studied by burning the midnight oil had to suffer," he claimed.
