KARACHI, Sept 14: The Karachi University syndicate in its meeting scheduled for Saturday is likely to examine a detailed inquiry report submitted to the vice chancellor a week ago in a student’s harassment case and give a final decision determining the fate of a teacher being blamed for harassing students, it emerged on Friday.

In its report, sources said, a committee constituted to investigate the charges of physical, sexual and mental harassment against the visually-impaired teacher of the Urdu department recommended his transfer to another department instead of immediate termination of his service.

Expressing concern over the inquiry body’s recommendation, students told Dawn that they had been protesting against the teacher’s behaviour for some time, but the university administration had not attended to their complaints until an affected student managed to record a phone conversation with the teacher and produced it before the administration to back up the allegations.

Subsequently, the university set up the inquiry committee comprising dean of arts faculty Prof Dr Zafar Iqbal, Dr Uzma Farman and Dr Ansar Rizvi a month ago. According to their findings, the recorded voices were of the girl who pursued the case and the lecturer.

The conversation, according to the report, was directly based on changes to marks in an exam and personal life.

It also contained material indicating that the student was being motivated to do certain actions to get specific objectives. This, the report stated, was also proved by the two lists signed by the lecturer that showed changes made to the marks in the exam.

The teacher did not raise any objections on the authenticity of his recorded voice, the report added.

The committee also recorded students’ statements deposing that the teacher forced boys and girls to shake hands, talked about ‘highly objectionable’ subjects instead of academic issues, took advantage of his position, threatened girls and called them in his office after university time.

He failed one girl when she refused his sexual advances, the report stated.

Thirteen students, according to the report, handed over the complaints in writing about his harsh, insulting and immoral behaviour.

The teacher suffered from physical and mental problems, said the report while declaring the allegations of sexual, physical and mental abuse true.

“Since the teacher has impaired sight, it is recommended that he should be transferred to a non-teaching job of grade-17 and he should be asked to declare in writing that the university should terminate his services if he would indulge in such activities again,” the report added.

Upon contact, the KU public relations officer said that the administration had arrived at a conclusion in this case, but the final decision would be announced in the syndicate meeting.

“The vice chancellor did not use his discretionary powers [to sack the teacher], because the syndicate is scheduled to meet almost a week after the submission of the report and he wanted to take a unanimous decision.”