Mumbai college professor convicted for inappropriate sex talk with students
A nursing college professor at a government hospital in Mumbai has been convicted for outraging the modesty of students by repeatedly referring to sexual topics in class unnecessarily. 45-year-old Ramesh Bandre would often veer away from his own subject, which didn't include sex, and talk of honeymoons, his own sexual escapades and other personal topics. However, he has been released on probation.
Professor would "name-call" female students, talk explicitly of his experiences
The FIR was filed by a second-year student, alleging Bandre would talk about sex without need and "name-call" female students, accusing them of having affairs with "ward boys and other teachers." He also discussed explicitly what was expected of women on their first night after marriage, and circulated his personal diary about his sexual experiences. Despite written complaints, he hadn't changed, the FIR alleged.
Talking about sex not illegal, but appropriateness matters: Judge
Bandre's lawyer argued it wasn't illegal to talk about sex, a guaranteed right under "freedom of speech." The court agreed, but added it should be done appropriately. "In this case, the acts of the accused and the manner of his teaching was not only unbecoming of a teacher, but was certainly with an intention to insult the modesty of girl students," the judge observed.
Professor released with a warning due to sentence, education
Under the Probation of Offenders Act, if offences are punishable with less than two years' jail and the accused has no criminal history, they can be released. The court considered this and his education level (PhD) while deciding to release him with a warning.
