• Source:JND

Himachal Pradesh: A heart-wrenching video of a 19-year-old student from Himachal Pradesh, who died after being ragged and harassed, has surfaced. In the video, she recounts repeated instances of sexual assault by a professor at her college.

Student Recounts Instances Of Sexual Harassment By Professor

A video recorded while the 19-year-old student was undergoing treatment shows her lying on a hospital bed, recounting instances of sexual harassment by a college professor, NDTV reported.

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In the footage, a woman can be heard asking the student the name of the professor, to which she replies, "Ashok sir." When asked what he did, she said, "Ajeeb ajeeb harkate karte the. Peeche padh jaate the (He would do strange things, be after me)."

When asked for further details, the student appeared hesitant. The woman then asked if her father should be sent out of the room, but the girl said no and described how the professor would touch her, pointing to her chest, and added, "Bahut kuch bolte the (He would say a lot of things)," the NDTV report added.

19-Year-Old Govt College Student Dies After Ragging, Sexual Harassment

A 19-year-old female student of a Government College in Himachal Pradesh’s Dharamshala died on December 26, after being ragged, beaten, and harassed by three students and allegedly raped by a professor. A case was registered on Thursday following a complaint by her father.

According to the First Information Report (FIR), the father stated that his daughter was assaulted by three students, Harshita, Aakriti, and Komolika, who allegedly threatened her against speaking out.

The FIR also alleges that her college professor, Ashok Kumar, repeatedly engaged in "obscene acts" with her. Following the assault and repeated mental and sexual harassment, her health deteriorated, and she eventually died on December 26 while receiving treatment at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital in Ludhiana. The student’s father said he had not approached the police earlier due to his daughter’s shock and worsening condition.

According to news agency PTI, the three students, Harshita, Aakriti, and Komolika have been charged with ragging under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Himachal Pradesh Educational Institutions (Prohibition of Ragging) Act, 2009. A case of sexual assault has been registered against the professor. An investigation is underway.

Principal Says No Complaint Was Filed By The Student

Expressing condolences to the family, Rakesh Pathania, principal of the Government Degree College in Dharamshala, said the student has not filed any complaint with the college authorities regarding harassment.

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“We have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to ragging. Students are encouraged to approach teachers on the ragging committee and there are several women teachers she could have complained to, but she did not. The college did not receive any such complaint. Another complaint to the chief minister's helpline in December did not reach us because the name of another college was mentioned. We are cooperating with the police,” Pathania told NDTV.

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