Professor acquitted of harassment charges after years-long ordeal at Munnar Government College

Professor Anand Viswanathan, who had been facing harassment charges from five female students since 2014, has been acquitted after a court ruling cleared him of all accusations, much to the relief of his family. At the time the complaint was filed, Professor Viswanathan was the head of the Economics department at Munnar Government College. It has now come to light that he was punished for a crime he did not commit.

The case began on September 5, 2014, when Prof. Viswanathan, who was also serving as the additional chief examiner, caught five students copying during the MA Economics second-semester examination. While the invigilator was assigned to report the incident to the university, this was never carried out.

What initially seemed like an academic issue quickly escalated into political interference, with the professor later accused of harassing the female students. This led to police involvement, jail time, and disciplinary action, including suspension and transfer.

Anand, the only member of the Congress-affiliated student organisation at the college, found himself targeted when the opposition turned the issue into a political weapon. The pro-CPM student organisation approached the students, claiming the party could get them out of the case, and insisted that a harassment complaint be filed against the professor.

Recalling the events, Anand Viswanathan said, “A written complaint was submitted. It was only ten days later that I became aware of the entire matter. I was called to the college’s internal committee without following the proper procedures, such as ensuring the presence of the principal or providing details about the complaint. The university-appointed inquiry commission focused solely on the students’ complaints. A case was subsequently registered at the Munnar police station. In reality, the day the alleged harassment supposedly occurred, the students had a study break, but the police did not investigate this. Afterward, I was suspended for three months, and then transferred to Malappuram Government College.”

To make matters worse, even his own lawyer sided with the opposing party. In two separate cases, the Devikulam court sentenced him to three years in prison.

Anand went on to explain, “It was later revealed that the complaint was fabricated, and the girls admitted that it was done at the CPM office, but by then, the case was already out of my hands. However, my wife and three children firmly believed that I had done no wrong. It was only my family that stood by me. Eventually, we appealed the verdict at the Thodupuzha Sessions Court. For four years, I was in and out of court. I retired in March 2021.”

In the end, the complaint was determined to be false, and Anand’s claim that copying had indeed occurred was accepted. The two cases in which he had been sentenced were both overturned. However, due to the university’s inquiry report against him, his pension and other benefits were withheld. He is currently waiting for the court proceedings on his appeal to recover these entitlements. Despite the ordeal, Anand holds no ill will toward the students who filed the harassment complaint against him. Yet, he still struggles to forgive the political leaders and fellow teachers who used the situation for their own agendas.