MICA has initiated an inquiry against associate professor after allegations of sexual assault were made against him on a Facebook post as a part of #MeToo campaign. Ahmedabad-based MICA institute is a premier institute of strategic marketing and
Communication.
In the post, the women alleged that she was assaulted at the MICA teacher’s residence by the professor Pravin Mishra.
The college authorities have placed Mishra under suspension until the inquiry against him is completed. When asked about the allegation against him, Mishra responded “I am not informed about any assault complaint against me so I have no response.”
When the complainant was contacted regarding the same she requested anonymity and confirmed that an investigation into the allegation has been launched by the institute as a part of institute’s “zero tolerance to such complaints”.
MICAʼs dean Preeti Shroff told The Indian Express: “The inquiry has been initiated on the basis of the Facebook post but a comprehensive investigation will be conducted looking into all aspects, taking into account any and all kinds of information. Apart from the existing GEASH (Gender Equality and Anti-Sexual Harassment) committee at MICA, a committee has been set up of three senior women faculty members for the inquiry.”
Shroff further added that the committee has been asked to complete the probe at the earliest.
MICA spokesperson Vaneet Chhibber said MICA has “no locus standi in the case”.
He said, “First, the incident quoted in the Facebook post… did not happen on campus. Second, the person alleging assault is not connected to MICA in any way. It is only an internal inquiry. The aggrieved person needs to approach the authorities, which she has not done so far. So we do not have any locus standi in the case other than the fact that Pravin Mishra is a MICA faculty.”
Currently, Mishra is pursuing his PhD in Design from National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.