Kalakshetra students call off protest after professor booked for sexual harassment

The students of the Kalakshetra college in Chennai's Thiruvanmiyur were protesting over a delay in action against a professor and others, against whom sexual harassment allegations.

Students of Kalakshetra Foundation's Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts in Tamil Nadu's Chennai have announced to call off their protest after Chennai police filed an FIR against in the alleged sexual harassment case. Adayar Women Police on Friday filed an FIR in connection to the alleged Kalakshetra sexual harassment case.

According to Chennai police officials, Professor Hari Padaman has been booked under various IPC sections including sexual harassment, and also under relevant sections of the Women Harassment Act. The case has been registered under sections 354 (A), 509, 4 of the Woman Harassment Act, the police said.

The action came days after students of Kalakshetra Foundation's Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts in Tamil Nadu's Chennai accused him of sexual harassment. Following the action, the Kalakshetra students' union which had been protesting over the delay in action against the professor and others, stopped their protest.

Kalakshetra students on Friday evening released a video saying that they have withdrawn their protest now and also thanked the Tamil Nadu Women's Commission chairperson, media, law and order and other official bodies. Students Union of the Kalakshetra Foundation's Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts in Tamil Nadu's Chennai had written to the Union Culture Ministry demanding action against the Director and the Head of the Dance department of the institution.

Earlier on Thursday, the Kalakshetra Educational Institute was shut after a protest by students over the lack of action against the professor who allegedly sexually harassed the students, informed the institute's authorities. The students said that the protest will continue in the absence of any concrete response from the college administration regarding taking formal action against the professor. (ANI)

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)