Varanasi Police have filed a case following a complaint by a Dalit assistant professor at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), alleging assault, molestation and harassment in her department by two colleagues, including a woman, and two students.BHU assistant professor alleges colleagues, students of assault and molestationThe BHU professor has alleged that although the incident happened on May 22 this year, the police refused to lodge a case until August 27. According to the police, a case has now been registered against the four accused, including two assistant professors after a preliminary investigation was conducted.The complainant, who is also a senior faculty member at the varsity, alleged that the accused, regularly talked about stripping her and making her do rounds of the university.In the complaint, she told police, “In continuation to this, on May 22 around 2 pm, one of them came to my chamber and said that he will get me removed from my post and kill me. I came out of my chamber and then the other accused shut the door of the department. One of the men held me and tried to do inappropriate things with me after tearing my clothes. The other one recorded it. The others kicked and punched me.”“Some people came after I shouted and rescued me. I am attaching CCTV footage along with this complaint.”On Wednesday, she told the media, “I am being targeted because I am Dalit. The whole issue is over my refusal to remove someone from his post. They were putting pressure on me and I refused. Then they did this.”Case filed against 4 accused“I lodged several complaints at the police station and to other officials concerned. The FIR was lodged only after I wrote to the HRD Ministry, SC and ST Commission, and the Chief Ministers Office,” she said.Taking notes from the incident, BHU Public Relations Officer Rajesh Singh said that the action would be taken according to the procedure. “The case is with the police now, so they will investigate. We will follow all procedures,” he told media.Following the complaint, an FIR has been lodged against the accused four under IPC Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 342 (wrongful confinement), 354-B (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) and under various provisions of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
