The Department of Medical Education has suspended K. Ashwin Hebbar, Associate Professor of General Surgery at the Shivamogga Institute of Medical Sciences, following allegations of harassing a medical student.
The department took the action, pending an inquiry, after Shivamogga Deputy Commissioner Selvamani R. sent a report on the case. When The Hindu contacted the DC, the officer said the accused had been suspended by the department.
A medical student had filed a complaint with the SIMS alleging that the accused harassed her when she had consulted him for a no-objection certificate after completing her course. An internal committee to avoid sexual harassment in the workplace conducted the inquiry. Later, O.S.Siddappa, director of the institute, informed the media that the case had been closed as the student withdrew her case unconditionally. He had stated that the accused had convinced her that the issue became a controversy because of her misunderstanding.
However, the girl approached te Deputy Commissioner complaining that the way the institute handled her complaint was not proper. People’s Lawyers Guild of Shivamogga, led by advocate K.P.Sripal, had also submitted a memorandum to the DC seeking a probe into the issue.
