Indian Express

V-C gets NHRC notice after caste slur charge

Express news service Posted online: Sat Aug 04 2012, 02:06 hrs
Surat : Following a complaint from a professor who had accused his college trustees of caste slur, the National Human Rights Commission has sought an explanation from the Vice-Chancellor of Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU) under whose jurisdiction the self-financed college falls.

Arvind Rathor, a professor at Bhawan Mahavir College in Surat, had accused college trustees of passing casteist remarks against him after he demanded that their salaries be raised as per Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations.

“College trustees Anil Jain, A S Abani and Arvind Thaker asked me to forget about the salary hike and started pressuring me to quit the job. They also passed casteist remarks,” Rathor had said in his complaint to NHRC.

The professor claimed he had taken up the issue with V-C Dr Daxesh Thaker, but in vain.

Later, he lodged a complaint against the three trustees at Kathodara police station on January 3. Police arrested the three on January 7 and they were later released on bail.

Rathor then approached the NHRC, which sent a notice to VNSGU V-C, seeking an explanation within four weeks.

“We had formed a two-member committee to look into the matter, but Rathor has also lodged a police complaint and so it’s a court case now,” the V-C said.

Rathod told The Indian Express that he had not received any salary for the last seven months.