Teacher’s ‘allies’ offered money to settle issue, claim complainants

The girl complainants, who have accused an assistant professor of the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College, Sector 10, of sending inappropriate texts and harassing them mentally, have alleged that some “allies” of the accused have been trying to deter them from pursuing the matter and that the college could not ensure their privacy and security when they appeared before the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC).

“One of us also received a call from the accused’s friend who offered us Rs 3.5 lakh to settle the issue and we were asked to come to a hotel in Sector 10 for a meeting,” a complainant said in a conversation with The Tribune. They have also alleged that an elected councillor from Chandigarh stopped them while they were going to appear before the ICC in the college and asked them to think about the accused’s family before seeking action against him.

Our identity compromised

An elected councillor from Chandigarh stopped us inside the college premises while we were going to appear before the committee and asked us to think of the accused’s family. The teacher’s allies were sitting in the office to know our identity. We have asked the committee to not call us again as we have provided all evidence already. — A complainant

A complainant has alleged that numerous people rang her as well as her fellow complainants over a dozen times in a day. “These people asked us to think about his family and his career before proceeding against him. Then, three days continuously, we received calls from our friends in the college. This is a stalking behaviour. How does the accused know who our friends are?” said one of the complainants.

“Our identity has been compromised. Some of his allies who are part of the teaching and non-teaching staff of the college, and outsiders as well, were sitting in the administration building the day we appeared before the committee,” alleged a victim.