A shocking case of alleged ragging and sexual harassment has emerged from Himachal Pradesh, leading to the tragic death of a 19-year-old student and the filing of a police case against a professor and three fellow students.
FIR Registered Following Tragic Death
The Kangra police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against a professor and three female students of Government College, Dharamshala. This action comes after a 19-year-old first-year student, who had accused them of sexual harassment and brutal ragging, died under mysterious circumstances in a Ludhiana hospital on December 26. Kangra Superintendent of Police Ashok Ratan confirmed that the cause of death is currently under investigation.
Disturbing Video and Father's Allegations
The case gained momentum after a distressing video, recorded while the victim was admitted to a Pathankot hospital, surfaced on social media on Thursday. In the video, the young woman is seen in clear distress and finds it difficult to speak. When a woman repeatedly asks her if the professor touched her inappropriately, she nods and says "Yes." She is also heard saying, "Sir would go after me."
Acting on a formal complaint filed by the victim's father, the Dharamshala police registered the case on Thursday. The accused have been charged under multiple sections: BNS Section 75 (sexual harassment), BNS Section 115(2) (causing hurt), BNS Section 3(5) (common intention), and Section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Educational Institution (Prohibition of) Ragging Act, 2009.
The father's complaint paints a harrowing picture of the ordeal his daughter faced. He alleges that persistent harassment by the professor and the three accused students pushed his daughter into severe depression. The complaint details a specific incident on September 18 last year, where the three female students, who were the victim's classmates and are now in their second year, allegedly harassed and beat her during a ragging session. One of them is accused of hitting her with a bottle and cutting her hair.
"This incident troubled her a lot. She kept saying she did not want to go to the college as the students would kill her," the father stated. Following her insistence, he enrolled her in a private computer academy on September 20. However, her mental and physical condition continued to deteriorate.
Extended Medical Ordeal and Police Investigation
The victim's medical journey was prolonged and tragic. Her father claims he took her to a doctor in Dharamshala initially and then changed multiple hospitals during her treatment. SP Ashok Ratan revealed that the young woman was treated at a staggering seven different hospitals before her eventual death in Ludhiana.
"The victim was treated at seven hospitals. We are obtaining the treatment records to find out the exact cause of death. Many allegations were levelled, and we are verifying all the facts. A thorough inquiry will be conducted in this case," the SP assured. He also addressed speculation that the victim was targeted because she belonged to the Dalit community, clarifying that the police case is based solely on the father's complaint, which does not mention harassment based on community or caste.
The three accused students were classmates of the victim. While they progressed to the second year, the victim had failed her first-year examinations, a fact her family links to the trauma she endured. The police are now meticulously investigating the sequence of events, the allegations of ragging and sexual harassment, and the precise medical cause of the student's untimely death.
