Despite facing serious rape and blackmail charges, the probation period of Assistant Registrar Avinav Thakur at the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD), Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, is set to end on May 30, 2025, yet no action has been taken by the administration.
Thakur, who is currently out on anticipatory bail, is now allegedly being considered for regularisation, raising fresh concerns among the student community.
The survivor, a 42-year-old Associate Professor from Zirakpur, Punjab, accused Thakur of repeatedly blackmailing and raping her between 2022 and 2024. She pointed out that Thakur’s continued presence on campus directly violates the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965.
According to these rules, any employee facing a criminal case involving moral turpitude must be suspended during the pendency of the trial, and no officer can be regularised from probation unless their conduct and integrity have been verified as satisfactory.
“I have complained to the National Commission for Women (NCW) and the Ministry of Labour and Employment. I have been going from door to door, but no action is being taken against him. I do not know what to do at this point,” she told EdexLive.
The case is currently under trial in a district court in Punjab, with the next hearing scheduled for July 18, 2025.
The victim also filed a Right to Information (RTI) application on May 19, seeking updates on the enquiry process, highlighting concerns over the opaque handling of the case. She added that students at RGNIYD, who had protested demanding Thakur’s resignation, were forced to halt their demonstrations following alleged threats of expulsion by the authorities.
