An Assistant Professor at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Assam’s Silchar was arrested on Friday for allegedly sexually harassing a female student, police said.
Cachar Superintendent of Police (SP) Numal Mahatta said Dr Koteswara Raju Dhenukonda, who has been suspended by the institute, was arrested from the institute’s campus on the basis of separate complaints registered by the victim and her family.
“Initially, he tried to hide himself and locked the door of his quarter from outside but we traced his mobile phone location and detained him at around 5.30pm. He was later arrested under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS),” a police officer said.
The development came hours after the professor, who taught in the Electrical Engineering Department, was suspended by the institute “with immediate effect”, following a complaint by the woman, a student of Bachelor of Technology. The students had also staged an overnight protest, seeking action against the professor.
According to the victim, the alleged sexual harassment took place when the professor summoned her to his chamber.
In a written complaint to the institute authorities, the woman said the professor touched her inappropriately after calling her to his chamber to discuss her low grades.
“He asked me to sit beside him… and asked me why I get less marks. He started holding my hands and touching my fingers. He then gradually held my thighs. He then started playing vulgar songs in his computer in front of me… touched my stomach and rubbed my stomach. I started crying but he did not stop. He asked me to feel comfortable and spread my legs properly. He then grabbed my neck from behind and kept holding it,” the letter, which has gone viral, said.
The woman said she escaped after her friend, who was waiting outside the cabin, gave her a call. “This is a incident of molestation and mental and sexual harassment,” she said.
In the notice, Registrar Ashim Roy said the chamber where the alleged incident occurred has been “sealed”. “All necessary support is extended to the victim so that she feels safe & comfortable,” he said.
Mr Roya also said the matter has been referred to the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) of the institute for an enquiry.
Earlier in the day, NIT Silchar Director Dilip Kumar Baidya chaired a meeting to discuss the case. “The situation is normal now. The attendance was less today since most of the students were protesting till 4am,” he said.
The professor did not comment on the matter.