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Sunday, August 8, 1999
Presidency College closed over sexual harrassment charges
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
CALCUTTA, AUG 7: In the first ever incident of its kind, Presidency College, Calcutta's premier institution, was closed sine die today following a students' agitation over the alleged molestation of a girl student by a teacher. The closure of the college came in the wake of the principal having been gheraoed in his office last night.The students, who gheraoed NC Mukherjee, the principal of the college, have been demanding immediate action against the teacher who was alleged to have `molested' a Zoology Department student last week. The students also demanded that the college authorities should file an FIR against the teacher.What seemed to have fuelled the students' anger was another teacher's statement that if the probe couldn't prove the guilt of the teacher, the student who had accused the teacher of `molestation' should be strictly dealt with. This spread a sense of insecurity among the students who fear the college authority is not only trying `to shield the guilty,' but also making an attempt tomuzzle their voice. `They cannot take away our right to protest,' said an MSc final year student. Incidentally, the students, carrying out the agitation on the issue, also demanded that the principal should immediately file an FIR against the teacher which, the student leaders of the college alleged so far the principal has refused to. Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.

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