The Madras High Court on Thursday, September 14 directed Kalakshetra Foundation to ensure that Hari Padman, who has been accused of sexual harassment, does not enter the campus of the institution, and if he does, it will be considered as a contempt of court. The Court made this observation while hearing a batch of pleas filed by the students of Kalashetra’s Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts (RDFCA) seeking reconstitution of the Foundation’s Internal Committee. The petitioners also sought for the suspension of the alleged perpetrators of sexual harassment at the campus and the implementation of a gender-neutral safety policy to deal with sexual and other kinds of harassment at the institution.
Senior Counsel R Vaigai, along with Advocate Anna Mathew, appearing for the students, said that Hari Padman, who has been suspended following allegations of sexual harassment, has been visiting the institution under the pretext of dropping his wife, who also teaches at the insitution. Hari Padman, assistant professor at RDFCA, was arrested on April 3, and is now out on bail. Last month, an independent inquiry committee set up to probe the allegations of sexual harassment found him guilty of suspicious misconduct.
Counsels of the petitioners also informed the court that Hari Padman participated in the Onam celebration that was held on the campus of the college. The court observed, “It is your [institution’s] duty to make sure that he [suspended faculty] does not enter the institution. If not, it will invite contempt. You are not sending the right message.”
Advocate Vaigai also alleged that Kalakshetra was victimising the students who protested seeking action against Hari Padman and other alleged harassers. And those who supported them were given faculty positions, LiveLaw reported. The Madras High Court had earlier restrained Kalakshetra Foundation from taking any action against students who had reported the matter or participated in protests on campus, including the petitioners, and ordered that the alleged perpetrators must not contact the students or enter the campus till the case is disposed off.
Students of RDFCA had come forward with sexual harassment allegations against Hari Padman and three members of the repertory — Sanjith Lal, Sai Krishnan and Srinath. Following this, on March 31, the students staged a night-long protest demanding that action be taken against those who have been accused of sexual harassment.