Row after students paraded in underwear during Goa University fest, human rights panel issues notice to VC
The rights commission on Thursday issued a notice to Vice-Chancellor Harilal B Menon, asking him to appear before it and submit a response by July 23, news agency PTI reported.
The university has landed in a soup over an alleged incident in which male students were paraded in their underwear during a cultural festival at the institution earlier this year.
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A university official said that the incident occurred during an inter-department festival called "Frolic" in February.
"During a competition called 'Third Degree', the jury asked the participants to strip to their underwear," a university official said.
The internal complaints committee of the university recently completed its inquiry into the incident.
The state rights panel took a suo motu cognisance of a report on the incident that appeared in a publication this week.
Students body condemn incident
National Students Union of India (NSUI) leader Naushad Chaudhury condemned the incident and said that female students were part of the crowd that attended the festival.
"Students were not allowed to leave. It was an embarrassing situation for both male and female students present there," Chaudhury said.
The students' body has also planned protest against the incident.
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The opposition Goa Forward Party (GFP), which brought the incident to the fore, has also questioned the authorities over the incident.
Meanwhile, the Goa University has announced a "discretionary holiday" on Friday.
"All the teaching and non-teaching staff and students of the University are hereby informed that Friday has been declared a discretionary holiday," a university circular issued by university registrar S N Dhuri said.
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