Gujarat University Suspends Professor for Sexual Misconduct
Two of the research scholars had complained against Vasishta D Bhatt, while the third asked for a change of guide.
Gujarat University suspended its associate professor Vasishta D Bhatt on Wednesday, 3 April, on charges of sexual misconduct.
The suspension comes after an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) report confirmed sexual misconduct on Bhatt’s part, following a departmental inquiry, The Indian Express reported.
An associate professor at the department of Chemistry, Bhatt had five research scholars under him, out of which three are girls. Two of the five research scholars under Bhatt had complained of similar harassment by him, whereas the third had asked for change of her guide. All five of them will be transferred to other guides now, Indian Express reported.
Bhatt was barred from campus premises on 25 March, a day after one of his research scholars alleged "heinous and lewd behaviour" by him and had complained to the Vice Chancellor Himanshu Pandya and University's Women Development Committee (WDC).
“Prima facie the complaint against Vasishta D Bhatt has been proved. So, he has been suspended with immediate effect. A departmental inquiry will decide whether he is to be terminated or not,” confirmed a senior GU official, Indian Express reported.
According to the Indian Express report, the first complainant said, “He would say that he has strong connections everywhere and that no one can harm him in anyway. So, once his suspension is revoked, he is bound to return and torture me more than what I had gone through in the last two years.”
After working 12 years with N V Patel College in Vallabh Vidyanagar, Bhatt joined the Gujarat University in 2017.
(With inputs from The Indian Express)
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