Himachal student death: Ragging charges against 3; professor booked for sexual harassment
A Dharamshala college student’s death has led to ragging charges against three students and sexual harassment charges against a professor
Three female students have been booked for ragging, and a professorhas been charged with sexual harassment after the death of a second-year college student in Himachal Pradesh’s Dharamshala.
Before her death, the deceased recorded a mobile video where she narrated her ordeal, alleging that the professor touched her inappropriately. She also spoke about several other instances of mental and sexual harassment.
The girl died during treatment at a Ludhiana hospital on December 26 last year, and the case was registered on Thursday.
Allegations of ragging, sexual harassment
The father of the deceased stated in the police complaint that on September 18, three female students- identified as Harshita, Akriti, and Komolika- brutally ragged and assaulted his daughter, adding that they threatened her not to disclose the matter to anyone else.
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According to an NDTV report, the complainant also mentioned Professor Ashok Kumar as one of the accused.
He further alleged that the professor’s indecent behaviour resulted in excessive stress for the deceased that caused her health to rapidly deteriorate.
Reason behind delay in filing complaint
The victim’s family members said that they were unable to file a police complaint earlier as they were in shock due to the death of their daughter.
They further stated that they decided to file a police complaint after they found their daughter’s video, wherein she accused the professor of inappropriately touching her. The victim’s family members also said that in the video, she had spoken about mental harassment in college.
The victim’s father alleged that on December 20, he had lodged a complaint with the police and the Chief Minister’s helpline, but did not receive any response.
Case lodged
A case under sections 75 (sexual harassment), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 3(5) (common intention) of BNS and Section 3 of Himachal Pradesh Educational Institution (Prohibition of) Ragging Act 2009 has been registered, and investigations are underway, police said.
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According to media reports, police said that initially, they were investigating the ragging angle as the complaint on December 20 mentioned only that. But the scope of the investigation expanded following the allegations against the professor.
The college administration distanced itself from the case, with principal Rakesh Pathania claiming that the deceased had not filed any complaint with them earlier, reported NDTV.
(With agency inputs)