Gujarat High Court asks GNLU Registrar to apologise for downplaying rape, harassment allegations at University

The Gujarat High Court on Monday directed the Registrar of Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) to tender an apology for claiming on affidavit that the allegations of rape, molestation, discrimination, homophobia and favouritism at the University were false. .A Bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Aniruddha Mayee noted that no action had been taken against the Registrar and that he had not even submitted an apology."No action has been taken against the Registrar. No inquiry is conducted. They way he responded to this Court. You are required to make at least an inquiry. He has not even submitted apology to us," the Court observed. .The Court was hearing a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) case initiated following a news report on allegations of rape and the alleged harassment of a queer student at GNLU..Gujarat High Court takes cognisance of rape allegations, queer student harassment at GNLU.On February 28, the Court had expressed shock after a fact-finding committee's report lent credence to the allegations. It had noted, at the time, that the GNLU Registrar had earlier filed an affidavit denying the allegations and urging the Court to close the suo motu proceedings.“He had the audacity to say this in the court when the court is seized with the matter. How will these people protect the children?” Chief Justice Agarwal had questioned during the February hearing..On Monday (April 29), Chief Justice Agarwal asked Advocate General (AG) Kamal B Trivedi if an inquiry against the Registrar had been initiated. AG Trivedi assured the Court that something would be done once a new Registrar is appointed, for which advertisements had already been published with May 6 as the deadline.The Court, however, clarified that it was not seeking the suspension of the Registrar but was asking for the initiation of an inquiry."We are not saying that you suspend him. But at least initiate an inquiry. Understand what he was supposed to do. He is an Officer of the University. He was not supposed to behave like this. And the way he responded to this Court, that was very very....Not the language. He had that courage to come to the Court and say on affidavit that, 'No, there is nothing,'" the Court stated.Subsequently, the Court noted that no action had been taken against the Registrar and that he had not even submitted an apology.In response, AG Trivedi assured the Court that an apology would be tendered during the next hearing..AG Trivedi also apprised the Court of other measures taken by the University. He mentioned the appointment of a sub-committee and also a new Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). He assured the Court that it had succeeded in awakening all the concerned authorities."We've got awakened. Your lordship may record. We will see that...I'm making a statement as the officer of the court. I'm not instructed to make the statement. We will see that. I am also one of the members of the executing council so is my learned friend and a learned sitting judge of this honourable Court. We will meet every month regularly to see that what is being promised is being implemented or not," he stated.He added that his endeavour was to ensure that students at the University are taken out of their state of confusion. He informed the Court that the fact-finding committee had come up with the idea of a 'Blind Google Drive'."They tried to see that each of the students of the institution, about 1200 students, was given that blind form and they were assured that, 'Whatever you say, you say in your response. Your identity we will not come to be known.' Initially only 11 responses came. So they waited for a month, once again repeated that exercise and they got 23 more," he said.Trivedi added that based on what these 34 students said, a victim could not be found. To this, the Chief Justice responded by saying that the idea is to not find the victim but to eliminate distrust towards the institution amongst the students."Because they are the students of law. If they students of law are not able to voice their concerns, then how will they speak for others? They are supposed to speak for others. So that is the concern of ours," she said.Further, she cited the example of the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), where students' voices are taken seriously."Law students should be such who can raise voice against anyone. They should not be having any kind of fear. Like in NUJS Kolkata Law School, students are managing the entire college and they can raise their voice against the director. Anything happens, they can sit on dharna. They should be given this kind of atmosphere," the Chief Justice opined..The matter is listed for further hearing on May 1. The Director as well as Registrar of GNLU have been directed to file their personal affidavits.