JUDGMENT :

Dinesh Maheshwari, J.

Preliminary

The petitioner, who was serving as professor in the department of Mathematics with the respondent No. 1 North Eastern Hill University [hereinafter referred to as 'the respondent-university' or 'the university'] and who was subjected to disciplinary proceedings on the charges of sexual harassment of female research scholars, has preferred this writ petition assailing the legality and validity of the disciplinary proceedings as also the impugned order dated 17.12.2014 whereby, the penalty of compulsory retirement was imposed on him.

2. The relevant features and background aspects may be noticed in a little detail, having regard to the multifarious arguments advanced on behalf of the petitioner on the matters of procedure as also the merits of the case. (It may be mentioned at the outset that looking to the facts involved, the names of female research scholars as also the female witnesses, whether occurring in discussions/narratives or in reproduction of the contents of documents, are being omitted to avoid their identity, with asterisk (*) mark at the appropriate places.

Complaints against the petitioner and inquiries by the Women's Cell

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