Home ministry examining complaint against Visva Bharati VC

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs is examining complaints against awarding Padmashree to Visva Bharati University Vice-Chancellor Sushanta Datta Gupta, accused of sexually harassing a lady professor.
Responding to a RTI appeal filed by Tagore researcher Nilanjan Banerjee, the ministry said, "Matter later came into the notice of this ministry. Before sending the name to the President for approval, no complaint was received in this ministry."
It said some representations from NCW and the state women's commission against Prof Datta Gupta were received.
"The matter is under examination," said the RTI reply signed by MHA director Shyamala Mohan.
It also revealed that the controversial VC's name was recommended by 'Bharat Ratna' scientist C N R Rao and other scientists like V K Kasturirangan and M G K Menon.

NCW chairperson Mamta Sharma had last month written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh opposing the selection of Visva Bharati VC as a Padmashree awardee.

She had said the award completely overlooked the history of his sexual harassment of a woman colleague during his tenure at the Satyendra Nath Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences in Kolkata during 2004.
Similarly, the West Bengal Women's Commission had also written to PM and President demanding withdrawal of Padmashree to Datta Gupta and his removal him from the post of VC of the central university located in Rabindranath Tagore's abode of Shantinektan in West Bengal.

Datta Gupta has denied the allegations saying it was a campaign to malign him.