Haryana Horror: How 500 women students at a university were sexually harassed by a professor for months

In a horrific incident, about 500 female students from Haryana’s Sirsa have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, accusing a professor at the Chaudhary Devi Lal University of sexual harassment. According to The Times of India, the students have alleged that the professor sexually harassed them after calling them to his chamber for “many months.” The daily newspaper also claimed that in the past, the professor was given a clean chit twice by the university’s internal complaint committee. In the letter, also sent to the state’s governor, Bandaru Dattatrya, and the women’s commission, the students have demanded his suspension and an inquiry led by a retired High Court judge. Let’s take a closer look at the allegations. The allegations The letter has accused the unnamed professor of “filthy and obscene acts,” as per NDTV. It stated that the professor calls girls to his office, takes them to a bathroom, and “touches us inappropriately.” The girls further alleged that when they protested, they were threatened with “dire” consequences. The letter states this has been going on “for many months" and that “because he gives a false impression of a person of high character,” the professor in question has never been held accountable. “We can’t write out names and contact numbers as it will malign our own image if no action is taken by the professor. The dignity of our family will be at stake. He has political influence and has threatened to get us expelled if we speak against him,” the letter read, as per TOI. Instead of coming to their aid, the students added that the Vice Chancellor “threatened to expel us because this professor is a person of immense political influence.” He also tried to suppress the allegations by offering the students better marks in written and practical examinations, reported NDTV. In their letter, the girls said they do not expect action against the professor until the university is “forced” by public opinion. The letter also called for an investigation by a retired High Court judge. The fourth letter in a year Notably, this is the fourth letter, all posted from the Khairpur post office on Hisar Road, written by the students against the professor in a year. The TOI report claims that the first letter was sent to the university in June 2023, while the second and third letters were sent to the governor in November and December, respectively. After that, the university conducted an internal investigation but gave a clean chit to the professor since they couldn’t find any evidence to back the allegations. Dr Rajesh Kumar Bansal, the university registrar, told TOI, “Our internal probe found the allegations baseless. But since the letter now mentions 500 girls, police and the university are taking a relook at the matter.” According to the report, the university officials also called colleagues to record their statements but many skipped the session. Action taken so far A special investigation team (SIT) under 2020-cadre IPS officer Deepti Garg has been constituted to probe the matter. The team visited the university, and statements are being recorded, Additional Director General of Police Shrikant Jadhav told NDTV. While speaking to the news channel, senior Sirsa police official Garg said that the statements of some of the students had been recorded, and the accused professor had also been questioned. She noted a case will be filed if a preliminary inquiry finds enough evidence. The accused professor has reportedly denied the sexual assault allegations against him and termed them “political vendettas.” “I am being targeted because I have been active in some work at the university. I am ready to face any probe against me,” he told the TOI. Dr Bansal told NDTV, “The police are investigating… The university has its own committee, which is probing the allegations. This is a serious accusation. There is no name on the letter, but we will investigate this. Action will only be taken afterwards. Whoever is guilty will not be spared, but if someone is innocent, then their character should not be assassinated." He added that relevant CCTV footage had been handed over to the police. However, the letter claims the accused professor has already “deleted his indecent actions from CCTV footage of his office.” A similar incident occurred months ago It is pertinent to mention here that the letter comes months after the principal of a government-run school in Haryana’s Jind was dismissed from service after being arrested for sexually assaulting girls under his care. According to a report by the Hindustan Times, 142 female students testified against 56-year-old Kartar Singh in front of a committee headed by the Uchana SDM, Gulzar Malik. The Jind police registered a case against him on 30 October under Section 8 (sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 354 (molestation) of the Indian Penal Code, after which he was placed under suspension by the state government. The police had arrested him on 4 November. CM Khattar ordered the termination of his services, taking into account grave allegations of misconduct. With inputs from agencies