Kalakshetra faculty member booked amidst 90 sexual abuse complaints, protests, and shutdown

Chennai: A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against a faculty member of Kalakshetra Foundation's Rukmini Devi College of Fine Arts in Chennai after ninety complaints of sexual abuse and harassment of students were received by the chief of the Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women.

Professor Hari Padman, one of the four faculty members who have been accused of sexual harassment, was booked by the Tamil Nadu police on Friday, March 31, under Sections 354A (sexual harassment), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 4 (the penalty for harassment of woman) of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act.

This comes on the second day of continuous protests by the students of Kalakshetra, a prestigious institution for classical arts, against the sexual harassment accused, and against the institution for their inaction.

Padman is likely to be called in for questioning soon. The FIR has been registered at the Adyar All Women Police Station. Padman has been accused of sexually harassing several students over the years.

The complaints include sexual abuse and sexual harassment of female and male students by Padman and three repertory artists Sanjith Lal, Sai Krishnan, and Sreenath, said A S Kumari, Tamil Nadu State Women's Commission Chairman, following which a five-hour inquiry was conducted on the campus, as students staged protests demanding justice.

"Complaints include sexual abuse of both girls and boys. I met 12 one-on-one, including six via Zoom. Earlier, I addressed all, giving them a sense of confidence to open up. I will give a report to the state government," she said.

Asked whether there were attempts by the Kalakshetra Foundation to cover up the issue, she said, "Both the Director and the Deputy Director weren't available. The principal couldn't give any information."

The students allege that they have faced years of sexual harassment, body-shaming, verbal abuse, and discrimination based on their skin colour at Kalakshetra.

The Kalakshetra had earlier denied the allegations and called them a disinformation campaign.

The National Commission for Women had also dismissed the charges as baseless. However, Kumari said she did not think the students were trying to defame Kalakshetra, but was only accusing individuals.

According to the students, the administration has been indifferent and unresponsive to their complaints. On Thursday, they wrote to the Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy and the Chief Minister MK Stalin, seeking the removal of Director Revathi Ramachandran for alleged inaction and the reconstitution of the internal complaints committee.

Mr Stalin said in the assembly that no written complaints had been received yet, but that the revenue and police departments were investigating the matter. "Legal action will be taken against whoever is found guilty," he said.

The Kalakshetra Foundation, which runs the academy, is a Union government-funded institution and has been declared an institute of national importance. Founded in 1936 by dancer Rukmini Devi Arundale, the institution offers courses in Bharatanatyam dance, Carnatic music and other traditional arts. It is known for its high standards of excellence and discipline and has produced many eminent artists over the decades.

The sexual harassment scandal has sent shockwaves across the state. The institutions’ alumni have expressed solidarity with the students and their dismay over the handling of the issue.

Singer TM Krishna has also spoken out against Kalakshetra's response calling for a thorough investigation.

Meanwhile, the students called off the protest thanking the media and Tamil Nadu Women's Commission chairperson AS Kumari. "We would like to thank the law and order and other official bodies who have been a support to all of us," they said in a video.

On the morning of Friday, March 31, the chairperson of the Tamil Nadu State Human Rights Commission visited Kalakshetra days after the National Commission for Women ordered a probe into the allegations.

The students boycotted exams on March 30 and stayed back on campus, where they organised a night-long protest seeking action against the alleged accused.

As the students’ protests intensified, Chief Minister MK Stalin addressed the allegations in the Assembly on Friday and promised legal action if they were found to be true.