UP prof on run after sexual harassment videos surface online; DM orders probe

Agra: The Hathras district magistrate (DM) in Uttar Pradesh has constituted a four-member committee to probe the allegations of sexual harassment against a senior professor, who has been accused of abusing his position to exploit women students over the past two decades.

The committee is to be presided by sub divisional magistrate (SDM), Hathras, and the other members include the circle officer, Hathras, tehsildar, Sadabad, and the district basic shiksha adhikari, according to a statement by the DM.

The Hathras police filed a first information report on Thursday against the accused professor, Rajneesh Kumar, 59, after videos of his alleged sexual harassment surfaced online.

Kumar, who was the chief proctor, was suspended by the state government run Seth Phool Chand Bagla (P. G.) College administration on Saturday.

Hathras superintendent of police (SP) Chiranjeev Nath Sinha said the FIR was lodged after information was given by UP State Women Commission on receiving an anonymous complaint from a survivor, addressed to the Prime Minister, chief minister, and other authorities.

The SP said the FIR was lodged under Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita sections 64(2) (rape), 68 (sexual intercourse by a person in authority), 75 (sexual harassment), and section 67 of the Information Technology (Amendments) Act, 2008 against the professor on the complaint of a sub-inspector as none of the survivors turned up.

He said the professor has been elusive since then and three teams have been constituted for his arrest.

‘’We are trying to identify the victims and produce them before magistrate to record their statement,” said the SP.