In a major disciplinary action, the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) has suspended two faculty members—one over bribery allegations and another for alleged sexual harassment—following separate complaints filed by students.

The university administration confirmed that both cases were examined through internal inquiries before the suspension orders were issued.

In the first case, Dr. Sumathi R. Gowda, Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science, has been suspended after several students accused her of demanding bribes in connection with their project work.

Students submitted a formal complaint to the KSOU Vice-Chancellor, attaching evidence including WhatsApp group screenshots, voice messages, QR codes, and phone numbers allegedly used for collecting the money.

Dr. Jagadish Babu, another Assistant Professor at KSOU, also filed a separate complaint stating that Dr. Sumathi had been demanding money from students for academic requirements.

Acting on the complaints, the university issued a show-cause notice to Dr. Sumathi and sought an explanation. However, she reportedly denied all allegations. The KSOU administration observed that the evidence prima facie indicated bribery and misconduct, stating that her actions had “tarnished the reputation of the university” and violated the ethical expectations of a faculty member. “Your behavior of seeking bribes instead of guiding students academically is improper and amounts to serious indiscipline,” the suspension order issued by the Registrar stated.

In a separate incident, Dr. Umakanth, Professor in the Department of Sericulture at the University of Mysore, has also been suspended on charges of sending obscene messages to a female student and subjecting her to mental harassment. According to the complaint, Dr. Umakanth had allegedly been sending inappropriate messages for the last four and a half months and had even pressured the student for physical cooperation.

The distressed student finally approached the Vice-Chancellor with a formal complaint, following which Prof. Lokanath constituted an internal inquiry committee.

The committee carried out a detailed investigation and submitted its report within a day, recommending disciplinary action against the professor.

Based on the findings, the Syndicate decided to suspend Dr. Umakanth pending further proceedings.

Both cases have triggered strong reactions among students, raising concerns about faculty accountability and the need for stricter monitoring mechanisms within universities.

KSOU authorities have assured that further action will follow after completing disciplinary proceedings.