The Madras High Court on Wednesday, April 26, directed the Kalakshetra Foundation to frame a policy to protect the students from sexual harassment and constitute the internal complaints committee (ICC) with representatives of parents and teachers.

"The respondent is directed to frame a policy (to prevent sexual harassment) and constitute the complaints committee by keeping in mind the prevention of sexual harassment act, enactments and guidelines including UGC, various other guidelines of the Centre, the State, the national commission for protection of child rights and the CBSE," Justice M Dhandapani said in the interim order.

The order was passed on the petitions filed by seven students of the institutions run by the foundation.

He directed the foundation to include representatives of parents and teachers in ICC to be formed pursuant to the framing of the policy.

The issue will be dealt with
On the matter of the Justice Kannan committee unilaterally set up by the foundation to look into the matter, the judge said the issue would be dealt with comprehensively after court vacation.

Making it clear that mere pendency of the writ petition would not tie the hands of the state police, the judge said they can go ahead with further proceedings as per law.

Justice Dhandapani also directed the management of the foundation not to take any adverse action to victimise the teachers who had supported the cause of the students.

The petitions have been posted to June 15 for further hearing.

What had happened?
The petitioner-students had sought the court to pass appropriate orders to the Kalakshetra Foundation, which is caught in sexual harassment complaints, to frame a gender-neutral policy to protect the students from sexual harassment and reconstitution of the ICC. After the complaints were raised by the affected students, Hari Padman was suspended while three other faculty members were removed. He was also arrested and remanded in judicial custody.

His bail applications were dismissed by a metropolitan magistrate court and the principal sessions court.