Kolkata, Oct 12 (IANS): The head of the Botany department at the University of North Bengal (NBU) has been removed after a research scholar accused him of sexual harassment.

Confirming the development, NBU joint registrar Swapan Rakksit said that a departmental inquiry has also been initiated against Jnan Bikash Bhandari .

While Bhandari has been asked to proceed on leave, the university's dean of science department has been given the temporary charge of the botany department.

The disciplinary proceedings against the HoD has been initiated following a complaint by a research-scholar who accused him first of offering her sexually explicit proposals and finally physically harassing her.

The research-scholar first filed a complaint against the accused professor at the internal complaints committee of NBU and subsequently forwarded it to the office of the state education minister and the University Grants Commission.

After an initial inquiry, a number of other research scholars too came up with sexual harassment complaints against the HOD concerned. The NBU students also staged a sit-in- demonstration within the university campus on Wednesday demanding disciplinary action against him.

Finally, in face of all round demands, the university authorities decided to remove the HOD concerned and sent him on indefinite leave.