The Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations of sexual harassment against Rajesh Kumar Verma, the Vice-Chancellor of Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya (RDVV), formerly known as Jabalpur University. Justice Vishal Mishra of the Jabalpur bench issued the order after identifying serious discrepancies and omissions in two prior inquiries into the matter. The disappearance of critical CCTV footage has further complicated the case and raised concerns about potential collusion among university officials.

The court has instructed the Director General of Police to constitute a three-member SIT comprising senior IPS officers, including at least one female officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police. All members must be from outside the Jabalpur district. The team will be led by an officer of at least Inspector General (IG) rank and is required to submit its report by June 16, 2025.

VC Accused of Sexual Harrasment

Vice-Chancellor Rajesh Verma has been accused of sexual harassment by a female employee of RDVV. The state government had previously referred the matter to the university’s internal committee, which submitted its report to the High Court. However, the court highlighted contradictions between the university and its counsel regarding the availability of CCTV footage from the room where the alleged incident occurred.

The High Court noted that on February 7, 2025, RDVV’s council had assured that the CCTV footage from the relevant room was preserved. However, a subsequent report from the internal committee claimed that the CCTV camera in that room was non-functional, and thus no footage was available.

These discrepancies led the court to direct the Jabalpur Collector to examine the matter thoroughly. The court also ordered a forensic and technical examination of the CCTV system to determine its operational status on the day of the alleged incident.