Chennai Police arrest Kalakshetra professor facing sexual harassment charges

Faculty member Hari Padman of the Kalakshetra Foundation was arrested by Chennai Police after a criminal case of sexual harassment was booked against him

The city police has arrested Hari Padman, an assistant professor of Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts operating under the Kalakshetra Foundation. Police said a criminal case was booked against him on a sexual harassment complaint from a former woman student of the institution.

A senior police officer confirmed that immediately after the registration of case, he went absconding on his return from Hyderabad and his mobile phone was also found switched off. “However, we have secured him. Further interrogation will be conducted with him before producing before a court for remand.”

The officer added that only one person has been arrested based on a lone complaint. No others had preferred any complaint in connection with the ongoing allegations of harassment case, he said.

Last week, the students of the Kalakshetra Foundation carried out protests demanding the dismissal of four staff members, who have been accused of inappropriate behaviour and sexual abuse.

Protesting students alleged that the current and former students had faced sexual and verbal harassment for a long time by Assistant Professor Hari Padman and three other repertory assistants.

On Friday night, All Women Police, Adyar, registered a case against Hari Padman based on a complaint from the woman student who had studied from 2015 to 2019 and discontinued later.

Hari Padman, one of the four people who have been accused of sexual harassment at the institution was booked by All Women Police, Adyar under 354-A (Sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment) of IPC and provisions of TN Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act.