IIT-Madras Professor Suspended Over Sexual Harassment Allegations

New Delhi: B Ramamoorthy, an IIT Madras Professor who taught Mechanical Engineering, has been suspended by the board of governors of the institute. A research scholar who accompanied him on an academic tour to Europe in September had alleged that he had tried to sexually harass her. The complaint was immediately forwarded to the Complaints Committee against Sexual Harassment which independently inquired into the case and found that he had indeed behaved in ‘an improper manner’.

The professor and the research scholar had gone to Poland together to attend a science conference. There, he asked his student to share his hotel room at night. She didn’t find anything wrong with the invitation in a city in Southern Poland and shared this information with her mother and friend too. However, she did leave the hotel at night when the professor tried to force himself on her.

During the enquiry, her friends reported that the research scholar went through severe depression and weight loss following the incident.The professor later said that he had made the suggestion as his student did not have enough money to pay for a room and he was concerned about her safety. However, once the girl left the room, he did not try to call her or find her out to make sure that she was safe.