The incident took place on September 7, when the university Registrar Dr Hemlata Parasnis allegedly insulted Deepak Pawar, general secretary of the SNDT Women's University Employees' Union as well as the SNDT Women's University B C Employees' Parishad.

According to Prof N L Sao, president of the Maharashtra Underprivileged Teachers' Association (MUPTA), Pawar had approached Parasnis to discuss issued pertaining to appointments and promotions of SC/ST employees. However, Parasnis allegedly got annoyed and made derogatory references to Pawar's caste. Pawar also occupies a clerical post in the university.

A police complaint was registered with the Azad Maidan police under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989, on September 10. However, no action has beentaken so far.

Vice-Chancellor, Dr Mariamma A Varghese in a meeting with MUPTA and the Pune District Backward Class Teaching and Non-Teaching Employees Association, on September 21 only assured them that she would look into the matter.

When union representatives met Dr Varghese today, they were told that she had set up a committee to look into the matter. She would comment only after the report is submitted, according to Sao. However, no deadline has been given for submission of the report. The unions are also demanding that Parasnis be suspended during the inquiry. Sao says the unions will shortly chart out their future course of protest.

Dr Varghese's secretary told Express Newsline that the vice-chancellor was busy and could not be contacted. Earlier, she had said she could not comment on the issue till the committee tables its report.