MANUU faces sexual harassment row over ICC report

The Maulana Azad National Urdu University, a central university based in Hyderabad, is currently embroiled in a serious controversy of sexual harassment and suppression of facts, with the complainant approaching the High Court seeking justice.

Sources from the university informed that a senior faculty member from the Islamic Studies department is accused of sexual misconduct, which subjected the alleged victim to years of mental trauma and agony until she broke and lodged a complaint.

The Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) is learnt to have submitted its report confirming the harassment; yet, the university, instead of taking action against the faculty member, appointed a retired judge as an enquiry officer to probe the issue further. This goes against the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act) under which the ICC is constituted.