The report added that the complaints were of the nature of sexual harassment, as defined under Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act, and also “were serious in nature”.(Credits: Pexels)
The Delhi High Court on Friday set aside the suspension of the principal of Delhi University’s (DU) Ramanujan College, observing that the suspension order was “stigmatic in nature”.
A fact-finding committee was set up by DU last year to examine complaints of misconduct, including sexual harassment, against Principal Rasal Singh.
The report had concluded that there is a “substantial and sufficient case” for the complaints to be referred to the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) of DU for further action. It added that the complaints were of the nature of sexual harassment, as defined under Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act, and also “were serious in nature”.
Subsequently, in September 2025, the college passed an order of suspension against Singh. The HC, last September, however, stayed the suspension order.
Noting that the PoSH Act already provisions for inquiry related to complaints of sexual harassment through the formation of ICC, Justice Purushaindra Kaurav reasoned, “…if, however, there is another committee such as the fact finding formed in the instant case, which is given the mandate of inquiring into the complaint of sexual harassment, the same would be de hors the PoSH Act, and in complete violation of it…”
“If such a committee is allowed to be formulated before the complaint is sent to the ICC, the same would violate the express words of the statute,” Justice Kaurav said.
“The consequence of allowing such a pre-ICC fact-finding may also have serious consequences on the sanctity of the inquiry. For instance, the victim may be forced to enter into an environment/atmosphere not catered and specialised for handling complaints of such sensitive nature. Moreover, such an ad hoc committee could also serve as a means to delay the substantive inquiry under the PoSH Act. The complaint of a genuine victim would then hangfire till the ad hoc committee concludes its inquiry,” the court further recorded.
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Observing that the fact-finding committee was “constituted without any governing rules or statutory mandate, operated without any assurance of impartiality expected by the rule… and offered no structured, rule governed opportunity of hearing as mandated by the rule”, the court held that such a “parallel, extra-statutory committee in substitution of or prior to the ICC, therefore, offends not merely the express provisions of PoSH Act but also the foundational principles of natural justice”.
Holding that such an ad hoc fact-finding committee is “unbeknownst to the law, and is in violation of the PoSH Act”, Justice Kaurav concluded that the suspension order shall not hold and set it aside.
Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court
Professional Profile
Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express.
Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare).
Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others.
She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020.
With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles:
High-Profile Case Coverage
She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy.
Signature Style
Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system.
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