NIT Silchar assistant professor suspended for ‘molesting’ female student in campus
In a note, the student said D Koteswara Raju inappropriately touched her after calling her to his chamber to discuss her low marks on Thursday.
An assistant professor at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Silchar in Assam was on Friday suspended for allegedly sexually harassing a student.
In a note, the student said D Koteswara Raju inappropriately touched her after calling her to his chamber to discuss her low marks on Thursday. “He asked me to explain the reason for my scores and suddenly started touching me. He asked me to feel comfortable and said that my marks can be managed if I obey him,” she said in the handwritten note, which was shared on social media.
Assam Police responded to one of the posts about the alleged sexual harassment case and assured immediate action.
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The student said Raju touched her thighs, belly, neck, and lips. “He asked me to sit with him, later grabbed me from behind, and talked about my body parts. A friend called me that time and I rushed out of that room,” she said.
The allegations triggered protests with students demanding Raju’s removal. The protests were called off on Friday morning when the authorities assured Raju’s suspension.
Students accused Raju of being a repeat offender and said this was the second official complaint against him. “We do not want such a person to teach us,” said a student.
A local court exonerated Raju after a student in 2021 accused him of sexual harassment, citing a lack of evidence and the absence of the complainant during the proceedings.
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The student who complained against him in 2021 had moved to Bengaluru for work, making it difficult for her to visit Assam to pursue the case. “This helped the professor get the exonerated but he did not mend his ways,” said another student.
The NIT’s Internal Complaint Committee under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act has started investigating the fresh complaint.
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Dilip Kumar Baidya, the institute director who chaired a meeting over the matter, did not respond to a request for a comment. The phone number of Ashim Roy, the institute registrar, was switched off.
Police superintendent Numal Mahatta said they were in touch with the institute but no written complaint was registered. A police team also visited the campus.
