An assistant professor at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Silchar has been suspended after a first-year student leveled allegations of sexual harassment against him.
In a note, the victim said that she was called by D Koteswara Raju to his chamber and to discuss her low marks on Thursday. There he toucher her inappropriately. The purported handwritten note of the student was shared on social media. The note read, "He asked me to explain the reason for my scores and suddenly started touching me. He asked me to feel comfortable and said that my marks can be managed if I obey him."
Assam Police takes cognisance of case
After a user shared the note on social media and tagged Assam Police, the CM office, and NIT Silchar, the Assam Police asked Cachar SP to look into the matter which was acknowledged.
Writing the ordeal, the victim further wrote in her note, "He asked me to sit with him, later grabbed me from behind, and talked about my body parts. A friend called me that time and I rushed out of that room."
After the incident caught attention, the students protested demanding the removal of Raju. After the authorities assured suspension, the protests were called off on Friday.
Similar case against accused emerged in 2021
The protesting students also alleged that Raju is a repeated offender and another such case came to light in 2021. Back then, a student accused Raju of sexual harassment, but he was exonerated by a local court due to a lack of evidence and the complainant’s absence during the proceedings.