UP Prof Suspended Over Sexual Assault Charges

SP Said the Prof Has Been Accused of Exploiting Women Students for Over 20 Years, Promising Them Good Grades

- HT Correspondent

LUCKNOW/MEERUT: A 59-year-old college professor has been suspended from his post at a government college in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh after an FIR was registered against him for sexually assaulting students for nearly 20 years, police officials said on Sunday.

The accused was the head of a department in Seth Phool Chand Bagla PG college and also served as the chief proctor before he was suspended on Saturday.

Circle officer Yogendra Krishna Narain said the police registered an FIR on March 13 following an anonymous complaint against the professor alleging that he was involved in sexual exploitation of girls. Since the filing of the FIR, the police have recovered at least 59 videos of the accused harassing the students on college premises.

The FIR was lodged under BNS sections 64 (2) (rape), 68 (sexual intercourse by a person in authority), and 75 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), and Section 67 of the Information Technology (Amendments) Act, 2008. The accused, however, remains absconding.

Hathras superintendent of police Chiranjeev Nath Sinha said, "A dedicated team has been tasked to arrest the absconding accused. We are trying to identify the victims and produce them before magistrate to record their statement."