The Tamil Nadu Women’s Commission has asked the director of Kalakshetra Foundation not to allow the three faculty members accused of sexual harassment inside the college premises. In a press meet on Monday, April 3, the Chair of the Commission AS Kumari said that the action has been taken in view of the examination that will be conducted for the students. The allegations of sexual harassment were levelled against four faculty members: Hari Padman, Sanjith Lal, Sai Krishnan, and Sreenath.
“While police action has been taken against Hari Padman, we have asked the director not to allow the other three faculty members inside the Foundation. I was informed that there were exams till April 12, so I asked them to create a safe environment for the students. I also learnt that the students were conducting a protest asking for exams to be held in offline mode, and arrangements are being made for the same,” she said. Kalakshetra Foundation’s Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts has issued a circular saying that it has been decided to hold exams from April 5, 2023, and that the exam schedule will be released shortly.
AS Kumari also said that she has asked for the IC (Internal Committee) documents and complaints filed in the past ten years, and a further probe will be conducted once going through them.
Hari Padman was booked, on Friday night, by the Adyar All Women Police Station and arrested on Monday, but there has been no action taken so far against the other three. There have been several allegations raised against the institute, accusing them of propagating a toxic culture, and allegations of sexual harassment have been levelled.