The Madhya Pradesh High Court has strongly condemned the state's inaction in investigating a serious sexual harassment complaint filed against the Vice Chancellor of Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya (RDVV), Jabalpur. The complaint was lodged by a female university employee under the Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act. The Court found significant lapses and deliberate negligence in the handling of the case and directed the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to ensure a fair inquiry.
Justice Vishal Mishra, presiding over the case (W.P. No. 2528 of 2025), remarked:
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“It is high-handedness on the part of the respondents-authorities in not getting the matter investigated properly despite the fact that there was a serious complaint made by a female employee… The manner in which the investigation has been carried out carves out suspicion… This gives an impression that they are hand in gloves with the officers of RDVV.”
Background of the Case
The complaint alleged sexual harassment by the Vice Chancellor in the university premises. The incident was reportedly captured on CCTV. However, despite earlier court orders to preserve the footage, the Court found that no meaningful effort was made to collect or secure the evidence.
Initially, a six-member committee was formed by the Collector, Jabalpur to investigate. Their findings were submitted in a sealed cover but were found to be incomplete and unsatisfactory. Upon review, even the Collector expressed his dissatisfaction with the committee's efforts, confirming that:
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“The complete material was not supplied to the Committee… No efforts were made to collect the CCTV footage of the room where the incident took place.”
The Court had earlier directed that a forensic expert assess the functionality of the CCTV cameras, but the excuse provided was that the camera was non-functional during the incident, contradicting previous statements from RDVV’s counsel assuring preservation of footage.
Court’s Intervention
Given these inconsistencies and the questionable credibility of the committee’s findings, the Court decided that further investigation by an external and independent agency was necessary. The counsel for the petitioner highlighted the alleged political influence of the accused, raising further concerns over impartiality.
Both the State Government and RDVV’s counsel did not object to transferring the probe to an independent agency.
Referring to several landmark Supreme Court rulings, including Vishaka vs. State of Rajasthan (1997) and Mithilesh Kumar Singh vs. State of Rajasthan (2015), the High Court emphasized that in exceptional situations, transferring investigations to an outside agency is essential to uphold justice.
“Discovery of truth is the ultimate purpose of any investigation and who can do it better than an agency that is independent,” the Court observed.
SIT Formation Ordered
Accordingly, the Court directed the Director General of Police, Madhya Pradesh to constitute an SIT comprising three senior IPS officers — including at least one female officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police. None of the officers should be from District Jabalpur. The SIT, to be led by an officer not below the rank of Inspector General of Police, must be constituted within three days of the order.
The SIT is tasked with conducting an impartial investigation and submitting its findings before the next hearing, scheduled for the week beginning June 16, 2025.
Case Title: Victim X Vs The State Of Madhya Pradesh And Others, Writ Petition No. 2528 of 2025
Counsel for Petitioner: Advocate Alok Vagrecha
Counsel for Respondent/State: Deputy Advocate General Swapnil Ganguly
Counsel for Respondent No. 2/University: Advocate Anvesh Shrivastava
