Assam: Students beat up professor over sexual harassment charges

Guwahati: A professor of bioscience department in Karimganj College in Assam’s Karimganj district was attacked by students inside the institution premises over charges of sexual harassment slapped by some of his girl students, on Friday.

As per sources, the accused professor has been identified as Partha Sarathi. He has been allegedly harassing girl students of the institution on several occasions.

Incidentally, students reportedly attacked Sarathi on Friday after he tried to force himself on a girl while she was walking alone to attend her classes in a separate building.

It was also alleged that the professor, in an earlier incident tried to touch a girl in an inappropriate manner while both of them were returning from the college in the same e-rickshaw.

Many girl students from the college also alleged that they too were harassed by the accused in the form of mobile messages and comments from him on separate occasions. They further alleged that the professor also graded the students in a biased manner in examinations, especially with girl students that he “favoured” more than the others.

On Friday, after the molestation incident spread out, irate students resorted to violence, with some of them attacking the accused inside his office room.

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After the situation in the premises turned ugly, college authorities immediately called the local police fearing any untoward incidents. Angry students even barged into the principal’s room where the accused was hiding.

As per reports, a clash broke out between college students and security personnel inside the institute premises, in which many students were injured after cops resorted to lathicharge.

Later, angry students came out of the college campus and blocked the road for several hours in demand of the arrest of the accused teacher.

However, the situation was brought back to normalcy after the cops arrested the accused and took him to police custody.

Speaking to the media, Karimganj circle officer Rakesh Deka said that the accused is currently in police custody and a case of sexual harassment has been lodged by the victim against him.

He also informed that police have launched an investigation into the alleged sexual harassment cases and the reports will be out soon.