Mumbai: A Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) student’s appeal against her rustication has to be decided without mixing it with another complaint of sexual harassment lodged by her against a faculty member, Bombay HC has directed, reports Yogita Rao. HC quashed an order of a TISS appellate authority (AA) that upheld her rustication and directed that the student’s appeal be reconsidered.
Justices A S Chandurkar and Rajesh Patil rapped AA for “travelling beyond the scope of the appeal” and mixing it with another complaint (of sexual harassment) filed by the student. They directed AA to decide the appeal within six weeks. Also, AA will “confine itself” to the student’s challenge against rustication. Proceedings from the student’s sexual harassment complaint will be independently decided, they clarified.
The student was pursuing a management course. Two faculty members complained regarding a social media post allegedly circulated by her husband. Following this, a TISS committee recommended her rustication. She moved HC and was directed to go before AA. Thereafter, told that the committee was not inclined to alter the rustication order, she again moved HC.