Varanasi police have officially registered an FIR on the complaint of a Dalit assistant professor at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), who has alleged that she was sexually assaulted by two fellow professors and two students.
The incident reportedly took place on May 22, but the police refused to register the FIR until August 27. The victim has accused the accused professors of tearing her clothes, attempting to molest her, kicking and punching her, and issuing death threats.
According to the victim’s complaint, the accused professors had been subjecting her to harassment for some time, including inappropriate comments and threats.
On the fateful day in May, one of the accused professors allegedly visited her chamber and requested her removal from her position.
“I came out of my chamber and then the other accused shut the door of the department,” she told The Indian Express.
The victim claims that another accused professor forcibly grabbed her, attempted to molest her, and tore her clothes, while another individual recorded the disturbing incident.
“One of the men held me and tried to do inappropriate things with me after tearing my clothes,” she said.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Parveen Kumar Singh, in response to the complaint, stated that the professor believed she was being targeted due to her Dalit identity.
The FIR, registered after a preliminary investigation, charges the four accused with multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 342 (wrongful imprisonment), 354-B (assaulting a woman or using criminal force with intent to disrobe), 504 (intimidation), and under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The accused professor has vehemently denied the allegations, dismissing them as baseless and claiming that the victim has filed similar complaints against others for her personal gain. The accused believes that a thorough investigation would have prevented the case from reaching this stage.
