The Madras High Court on Thursday recorded the submission made on behalf of Kalakshetra Foundation that every complaint of sexual harassment within its campus would be taken seriously and acted upon promptly in accordance with law. After doing so, the court wanted to know by September 25 as to whether the foundation would be able to include a parent representative in its Internal Complaints Committee (ICC).
Justice N. Seshasayee asked Additional Solicitor General AR.L. Sundaresan to take instructions from the foundation on the possiblity of including the parent representative. The judge also said, the foundation would be inviting contempt of court proceedings if the suspended faculty member facing sexual harassment charge was allowed to enter the campus despite a specific restraint order passed by the court in April this year.
Senior Counsel R. Vaigai, representing seven students who had approached the court for formulation of a proper safety policy, told the court that the accused had been visiting the campus regularly in the guise of dropping his wife serving as a dance teacher there, and also in the pretext of attending a craft exhibition. She said that he was in the institution even during the Onam celebration held on September 10.
