Bengaluru medical college assistant professor booked for sexual harassment after alleged proposal to student in classroom
Bengaluru: An Assistant Professor at Sri Siddhartha Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Nelamangala, who was recently thrashed by students and went viral on social media for allegedly proposing to a student in a classroom, has now been booked in a sexual harassment case.
The Nelamangala rural police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) under under Sections 74 (assault or criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 75(1) (sexual harassment), and 329(3) (criminal trespass) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the porfessor based on a complaint filed by the college principal, Divakar SV.
The accused is an Assistant Professor at the Microbiology Department of the Sri Siddhartha Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Nelamangala. He has been served notice by the police to appear before the investigating officer again, when summoned.
Apart from this, the college had earlier issued a notice to the professor over allegations of inappropriate behaviour. The professor was directed not to enter the campus until he was summoned for questioning. However, the accused allegedly violated these instructions and entered the college campus on March 23 and reportedly proposed to the girl.
Medical Dialogues had reported this incident, where a 50-year-old professor was accused of proposing to a 19-year-old medical student during a lecture in front of the class. Soon after the proposal, the student reportedly objected to the professor’s behaviour, calling out his inappropriate and shocking advances in front of the class.
The incident quickly escalated to an altercation with the professor, reportedly being slapped with a slipper by the student and later thrashed by other students outside the classroom. The professor allegedly offered a chocolate to a girl student and expressed his feelings in front of the entire class.
The video reportedly shows the professor stating in class that he was unable to resist his feelings for a girl from the batch and that he was proposing to her. "I am distributing chocolates to a very important girl of this batch and also to all of you," he said, before adding: "I love you."
Outraged over the inappropriate advances, the student allegedly hit the professor with her slipper. Following the confrontation, other students, angered by the professor’s conduct, reportedly chased him across the campus and assaulted him. He was allegedly thrashed near his car. Fearing further attack, the professor managed to escape from the spot
Subsequently, the professor has been booked in a sexual harassment case. According to the FIR, the complainant, who is the college principal, stated that the accused had been behaving inappropriately on the college premises and sexually harassing female students.
The complainant alleged in the FIR, as per the PTI report, that the professor had a history of harassing students on campus. Students had earlier submitted complaints seeking protection, following which the college issued a notice to the professor, directing him to appear for an inquiry and restraining him from entering the campus during the process, it said.
However, on March 23, the accused allegedly entered the college premises in violation of the directive and forcibly held the hand of a female student, behaving in an obscene and inappropriate manner, the FIR stated, reports PTI. The incident caused distress among students and disrupted the academic atmosphere at the college, it added.
The complaint further alleged that despite being barred from entering the campus, the accused trespassed into the premises, misbehaved with the student, and harassed others as well, police added.
Bengaluru Rural superintendent of police Chandrakanth MV told TOI, "The professor's statement is recorded. As the charges against him are punishable by less than seven years, he was served a notice. He has been asked to appear before the investigating officer again when summoned."
Till now, the accused has not been arrested and an investigation is underway.
Also read- On Duty doctor manhandled by police at Etawa Hospital
