Professor, three students booked after college student dies alleging harassment

Dharamshala (The Uttam Hindu): Police in Himachal Pradesh’s Dharamshala have registered a case against three female students and a college professor on charges of ragging, sexual assault, and mental harassment following the death of a second-year student at a government degree college.

According to the police, the student recorded a video on her mobile phone before her death, detailing the alleged harassment she faced. In the video, she accused a professor of inappropriate physical contact and repeated mental harassment both inside the classroom and on the college campus.

The student’s father alleged in his complaint that on September 18, his daughter was brutally ragged and assaulted by three female students — identified as Harshita, Akriti and Komolika  who also allegedly threatened her to remain silent. The complaint also named Ashok Kumar, a professor at the college, accusing him of indecent behaviour and mental harassment.

The father stated that his daughter experienced extreme stress due to the alleged actions of the professor and fellow students, which led to a continuous decline in her health. She was treated at multiple hospitals before being admitted to DMC Hospital in Ludhiana, where she died on December 26.

The family said they were initially unable to lodge a complaint due to the shock of losing their daughter. They later approached the authorities after discovering the video recorded by the student before her death, in which she described the harassment and alleged threats issued to silence her when she protested.

The father further claimed that he had filed complaints with the police and the chief minister’s helpline on December 20, but no action was taken at that time.

Police officer Ashok Rattan confirmed that a case has now been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Himachal Pradesh Educational Institutions (Prohibition of Ragging) Act, 2009. He said the investigation initially focused on ragging but was expanded after allegations against the professor emerged. Authorities will also examine the treatment records from all hospitals where the student was admitted.

Meanwhile, the college administration has distanced itself from the case. The college principal stated that the student had failed her first year but had still sought admission to the second year. He also claimed that no formal complaint had been submitted to the college administration prior to the incident.