The Gachibowli police in Hyderabad on Saturday booked a professor of the Hyderabad Central University for allegedly attempting to molest an international student.
The incident took place inside the campus on Friday night in which a Thai student was allegedly sexually assaulted and beaten by the professor.
A police official of the Gachibowli police station said they received a complaint from the victim student in the early hours of Saturday that the professor attempted to sexually assault her and when she resisted, he beat her.
“She alleged that the professor had been sexually harassing her for quite some time,” the police official said, quoting the complaint. “A case has been registered under Section 354 (assault with an intention to outrage the modesty of a woman) against the professor. An investigation into the matter has also been launched,” police said.
Meanwhile, a large number of students gathered outside the campus and staged a
demonstration protesting against the university professor. They raised slogans and demanded strict action.
According to one of the students, the university students had a weekend party on campus on Friday night which was joined by some faculty members. “During the get-together, the professor made an attempt to molest the Thai student and she resisted,” said the student.
She immediately brought the incident to the notice of the students’ union leaders, who tried to alert the university authorities by raising a complaint, but there was no response, claim the students. “All through the night, the students protested demanding action against the professor, but there was no response by the authorities,” he said.
In the early hours, the Thai student, accompanied by a group of students, registered an official complaint at the Gachibowli police station against the university professor. The police authorities reached the campus and are making inquiries about the incident.