Haryana Human Rights Commission Seeks Reports Over Student Harassment Allegations
The Haryana Human Rights Commission has taken decisive action. On Friday, the commission directed multiple authorities to submit detailed reports. These reports concern serious allegations of harassment, discrimination, and academic victimization against a student at a private university in Sonipat.
Commission Issues Directives to State Government and University Bodies
HHRC member Deep Bhatia issued the directions during a hearing. The commission heard a complaint filed by a parent who appeared personally. The order now goes to the Haryana state government, the University Grants Commission, the Sonipat Commissioner of Police, and the university management itself.
Copies of the formal order have been sent to all concerned authorities. The matter is now listed for a further hearing on a subsequent date. This step marks official intervention into the troubling case.
University Responds to Commission's Order
Anjoo Mohun, the Chief Communications Officer for OP Jindal Global University, provided a statement. "We are currently reviewing the order issued by the Haryana Human Rights Commission," Mohun said. "We shall be submitting our response as per the directions issued by the Commission. We have nothing more to add at this stage."
Roots of the Dispute: An Essay on 'URI: The Surgical Strike'
The case originates from a complaint filed by Vishav Bajaj. He alleges his son, a student at OP Jindal Global University, faced continuous harassment from two faculty members. The professors named are Ekta Chauhan and Sarover Zaidi.
According to the complainant, the alleged actions severely impacted his son's mental health and academic performance. Bajaj states this amounts to a serious violation of his son's human rights. He describes his son as a meritorious student with an excellent record from reputed institutions.
The dispute reportedly began on October 31, 2025. The student wrote an essay on the film 'URI: The Surgical Strike'. Certain teachers reportedly disapproved of the essay's content.
Allegations of Classroom Harassment and Political Bias
The complaint details several specific incidents:
- On November 3, 2025, during a class, the student was allegedly harassed. He was reportedly asked not to praise the Government of India, the Prime Minister, or the Indian Army.
- On November 7, 2025, during a course titled 'Politics of Representation,' derogatory remarks were allegedly made. The complaint claims Professor Sarover Zaidi compared the Prime Minister to Adolf Hitler. National security operations were allegedly dismissed as gimmicks.
- The complainant asserts that after his son expressed views supportive of the government and armed forces, he became a target. He claims faculty members with particular political views deliberately victimized him.
Academic Victimization and Internal University Conflict
The complaint highlights an incident involving an academic review on the same film. Instead of receiving a merit-based assessment, the student was allegedly publicly humiliated in class. He was informed such content would not be accepted and was declared failed in the subject.
However, the student submitted a written complaint to the Vice Chancellor. An inquiry conducted by Executive Dean Badrinarayan reportedly found the failure unjustified. Consequently, the university revised the result and declared the student passed in the internal assessment.
This development allegedly led to further hostility from certain faculty members. The complainant describes another incident on November 29, 2025. During a jury evaluation, an uploaded document accidentally bore another student's name. The error was corrected promptly and involved no plagiarism.
Yet, the complainant alleges this minor error was exaggerated. It was allegedly used as a basis to fail the student in a subject related to projection drawing.
Pressure to Withdraw Complaint and Fear of Retaliation
The complainant expresses deep apprehension. He fears his son could face fabricated allegations, citing the significant influence of the concerned individuals within the university.
He further claims that on December 9, 2025, the Executive Dean summoned the student. The student was allegedly subjected to repeated pressure to withdraw his complaint. When he refused, he was declared failed again in the subject.
The complaint states the student now suffers from mental and physical distress. He lives under constant fear of retaliation, academic failure, and institutional victimization for raising his grievance.
Despite reporting the matter to various authorities, including the police, the complainant alleges no action has been taken. This inaction prompted the approach to the Human Rights Commission, seeking justice and intervention.
