Today 4th April, The Gujarat High Court informed that Justice Indu Malhotra will lead a committee to review Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) affairs following sexual harassment allegations. The committee, which includes Attorney General R Venkataramani and former additional chief secretary MM Shrivastav from the State Finance Department, will scrutinize GNLU’s operations in response to the allegations.
Gujarat: The Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) told the Gujarat High Court on Thursday that in the wake of recent sexual harassment allegations that has rocked the university, it has constituted a High Level Review Committee (HLRC) headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Indu Malhotra to review the university’s performance in the last five years.
During a session presided over by a division bench consisting of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Aniruddha Mayee, it disclosed that the HLRC would include Attorney General R Venkataramani and former additional chief secretary of the State Finance Department, MM Shrivastav, alongside former Supreme Court Justice Indu Malhotra.
Senior Advocate Kamal Trivedi, representing GNLU, informed the bench that the university’s Governing Council convened on March 23 and decided to form both the HLRC and a sub-committee, which will feature Senior Advocates Manisha Luvkumar Shah and Asim Pandya.
Read Also:“What is happening in Gujarat HC?
Trivedi conveyed to the court,
“The Governing Council expressed profound concern for the students’ well-being, prompting the university to be instructed to implement all necessary measures aimed at fostering a safe and secure environment among students. This initiative aims to ensure that students do not hesitate to come forward with such experiences.”
Trivedi informed the Court that as a result, the Governing Council decided to establish the HLRC.
Trivedi stated,
“The HLRC will evaluate the university’s performance in academics, administration, finance, and student security over the last five years. The sub-committee will visit the university and ensure the creation of a prompt and transparent Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), which should be sensitive, accountable, and efficient in responding swiftly to any sexual harassment complaint.”
Trivedi further conveyed that the reports from both committees will be forwarded to the Executive Council of the GNLU for their assessment. He also mentioned that the university administration has been instructed to expedite the appointment of a Registrar for GNLU.
Read Also:Gujarat HC: Police Extortion Turns Protectors into Perpetrators
These statements made in response to a suo motu case initiated by the Court following reports of rape involving one student and harassment of another queer student at GNLU last year.
The bench today acknowledged GNLU’s submissions and suggested that the findings of both committees should also be presented to the Governing Council of the GNLU.
During a previous hearing, the Court expressed dismay at the findings of a prior fact-finding committee, revealing instances of rape, molestation, favoritism, homophobia, and inadequate information about the ICC provided to students at GNLU.
The Court criticized the GNLU administration for initially denying any incidents within the university.
On March 12, during the case hearing, the Court instructed the General Council of the University to review the report of the fact-finding committee, which highlighted various shortcomings in GNLU’s administration.
Subsequently, the General Council convened and decided to form the committee led by Justice Malhotra.