Around 500 girls from Chaudhary Lal University in Sirsa, Haryana, have written a letter to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar alleging sexual harassment against a professor. The students have demanded the suspension of the professor and an investigation. The victims have also sent copies of the complaint to University Chancellor Dr. Ajmer Singh Malik, Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Haryana’s Home Minister Anil Vij, as well as the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women, Rekha Sharma, along with senior state officials and select media organizations. Additionally, the girls have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting a thorough investigation into the matter.
In the letter, they accused the professor of “indecent and lewd behavior.” According to the correspondence, he calls girls to his office, takes them to the bathroom, and “touches private parts and engages in obscene activities.” When they resisted, they were threatened with “severe consequences.” The girls claimed this has been ongoing for “several months.”
Further, they claimed that the Vice-Chancellor, instead of supporting them, “threatened to expel us because this professor holds significant political influence.” The Vice-Chancellor allegedly attempted to suppress the allegations by offering a compromise.
The University’s Registrar, Dr. Rajesh Kumar Bansal, confirmed the receipt of an anonymous letter. He said, “The police are investigating the allegations. This is a serious accusation, and although the letter has no name, we will investigate it. Action will be taken against the guilty, but innocent individuals should not face character assassination.”
Dr. Bansal mentioned that relevant CCTV footage had been handed over to the police. However, the letter alleges that the accused professor had already “erased his indecent activities from the CCTV footage in his office.” In their letter, the girls, fearful of their families’ “disgrace,” have decided not to reveal their identities until the university is “compelled” to take action based on public opinion. They have also demanded an inquiry by a retired High Court judge.
