Justice KS Jhaveri of the Gujarat high court extended the stay order prohibiting the National Institute of Design (NID) from forcing Deepa Chalke, a member of faculty, to vacate the house allotted to her at institute's Gandhinagar campus. The court has posted the case for the next hearing on June 22.
The court was hearing the case of Chalke whose service was terminated by the institute after she lodged a complaint against the warden of the boy’s hostel on the campus, accusing him of sexual harassment.
Earlier, Justice KM Thaker of the high court had issued notice to the NID regarding the sacking of the 38-year-old Chalke. The court had also stayed the institute’s order asking the woman professor to vacate the house allotted to her on the campus.
Chalke's lawyer, Mukul Sinha, told the court that in Vishakha vs state of Rajasthan case, the Supreme Court had given a landmark judgment giving umbrella protection to working women against sexual harassment, in government and in private organisations.
The lawyer further said that the judgment has been implemented everywhere in the county but the NID had not followed the direction of the judgment.
He further said that the institute had victimised the complainant herself, as in case of Vishakha, and terminated her service without following due procedure or without giving the complainant the opportunity to be heard.
Deepa Chalke, professor in the department of Apparel Design and Merchandising at NID in Gandhinagar, had lodged a complaint with the institute’s authorities against the warden of the boys’ hostel on the Gandhinagar campus.
Later, on February 22, 2012, her service was terminated with immediate effect.
Chalke had challenged her removal before the Gujarat high court on the ground that she was sacked without assigning any reason.
The institute had set up a review committee in response to her complaint against the warden but the committee had rejected her allegations.
Chalke was appointed professor at NID on August 22, 2011 for two years.
