CHENNAI, JULY 27: An associate professor of the Mathematics department at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Chennai, has moved the Madras High Court, asking that the institute pay her Rs 25 lakh as damages for harassment.Justice P.D. Dinakaran, who heard Dr W.B. Vasantha's writ petition yesterday, served notices to the chairman, board of governors, director, registrar and head of Mathematics department A. Avudainayagam, returnable in two weeks.Vasantha has alleged that she was being singled out and mentally harassed for being the only OBC woman scientist at IIT. She said she was denied her legitimate promotion as associate professor in 1995. She appeared for the interview for the post of Professor in 1996, but was offered the post of associate professor.She told the court that she had accepted the post without prejudice to her rights. Apprehending that she would be sacked, she filed another writ petition and the High Court in March 1997 restrained the authorities. The stay order is still in force.However, the IIT did not recognise her as an associate professor. She was not paid her salary, perks and other allowances eligible. She was being paid in the scale of assistant professor.Vasantha alleged that because of professional jealousy, malafide intentions and ulterior motives, the authorities had been continuously harassing her and causing her mental agony. All this had caused an irreparable loss to her health and she had developed ailments such as high blood pressure.The petition said the high-handed, oppressive and insulting behaviour of the respondents had injured her pride and self-confidence and the enormous mental pain had hampered her research.
