Today, the Madras high court has directed Kalakshetra Foundation to frame a policy against sexual harassment, in accordance with the existing laws and guidelines, for all the institutions functioning under it. The bench of  Justice M Dhandapani has also directed that care must be taken to include representatives of parents and teachers in the Internal Complaints Committee constituted after framing the policy.

Further made it clear that there is no impediment for the independent inquiry committee headed by Justice Kannan or the state police to proceed further on the issue. Clarifying an earlier interim order passed by the court restraining the foundation from taking any adverse action against students who have made such complaints or those involved in protests, the judge said the protection would also apply to faculty members who support the cause of the students.

The issue pertains to a plea moved by seven students of the institute with a condition to let them remain anonymous. They wanted the court to direct the foundation a gender-neutral policy to prevent sexual or any other form of harassment of its students.