Sexual harassment case: Karnataka HC orders departmental enquiry against IAS officer and SIMS director for revoking suspension of accused associate professor

The High Court of Karnataka has ordered a departmental enquiry against IAS officer Mohammad Mohsin, Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Department of Medical Education (DME), and Virupakshappa V., director of Shivamogga Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS). The enquiry pertains to their decision to revoke the suspension of Ashwin Hebbar K., an associate professor at the institute facing charges of sexual harassment of a postgraduate medical student, within four-and-a-half months of his suspension.

Exercising its extraordinary power, the court also ordered the continuation of Dr. Hebbar’s suspension as associate professor in the Department of General Surgery until the departmental enquiry against him is completed.

A Division Bench comprising Justice D.K. Singh and Justice T.M. Nadaf passed the order while dismissing petitions filed by Dr. Hebbar challenging his transfer to Haveri Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS) and the post-facto approval granted for his transfer by SIMS. The Bench also allowed the appeal filed by SIMS against a single judge’s order staying his transfer to HIMS.

‘Insensitive to abuse’

“We have no manner of doubt that the director as well as the ACS have been totally insensitive to the honour, dignity, humiliation, harassment, and sexual abuse suffered by the student,” the Bench observed while ordering that Dr. Hebbar be attached to HIMS until completion of the enquiry.

The case stems from a complaint of sexual harassment allegedly committed in June 2025, when a second-year postgraduate student accused him of inappropriately touching her during a dinner party. He was arrested on June 26, 2025, released on bail on July 4, 2025, and placed under suspension on July 3, 2025. The suspension was revoked on November 17, 2025, following which he was transferred to HIMS, the Bench noted.

Second instance

The Bench noted that this was the second allegation of sexual harassment against Dr. Hebbar. In the earlier 2022 case, he was accused of inappropriately touching a junior resident and, despite the gravity of the complaint, the POSH Act panel allegedly pressured the victim to withdraw her statement before closing the case.

In the present case, the Bench found that Dr. Hebbar had sought revocation of his suspension on July 21, 2025, and that several representations were made by politicians and NGOs seeking its revocation.

While “buckling down under pressure”, the ACS asked the director of SIMS to make a recommendation for revoking Dr. Hebbar’s suspension, the Bench said.

The Bench noted that the director recommended revoking Dr. Hebbar’s suspension, citing its prolonged continuation as unnecessary, causing a financial burden on the government, and hardship to him due to the delay in the disposal of the case.

The director also stated that his reinstatement would benefit patients and the institute, as he had performed 1,029 surgeries, including 387 cancer surgeries, between 2021 and June 2025.

Revocation

The Bench said that the suspension was revoked even before the expiry of the maximum six-month period prescribed under the Karnataka Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1957, for review in cases where a departmental enquiry has not been initiated or a chargesheet has not been filed before the competent court.

Stating that Dr. Hebbar “is a wolf in white coat”, the Bench also observed that the National Medical Commission should act in addition to the present proceedings, and his licence to practise should also be cancelled if he is found guilty.