Govt engineer held for sexually assaulting JNU student for four years

Government officer claims he has been in a relationship with the student for six years.

A 26-year-old government engineer has been arrested for allegedly stalking, sexually assaulting, and threatening to kill a Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student, police said on Tuesday.

A 26-year-old Indian Engineering Services (IES) officer has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting, stalking, abusing and threatening to kill a Jawaharlal Nehru University student. (Reuters File Photo)

Police took action after the student filed a complaint on Sunday against the assistant executive engineer with the road transport and highways department.

The woman alleged that the Indian Engineering Services (IES) officer had sexually assaulted her for four years since 2012, when she was still a minor.

Also, she accused him of stalking her on social media, blackmailing her with morphed pornographic photos, and “verbally abusing” her in public places.

He was also threatened to kill her if she refuses to do his bidding, she said in her complaint.

“She alleged that he used to visit the JNU campus in an inebriated condition with two-three persons and harass her. He tried to hurt her using a wire and a knife. She said the man was not letting her concentrate on her studies since 2012 because of a family rivalry,” a police officer said.

The woman apparently tried to confide her ordeal to her friends and brother, but could not because she was afraid of the social stigma attached to a sexual assault.

She said she avoided stepping out of her hostel and even going to a hospital when she was sick because he had been stalking her constantly.

However, she gathered courage to go to police as the assaults and harassment became unbearable.

“We registered a case on Monday and asked the accused to join the probe. He said he had known the woman for more than six years,” said Chinmoy Biswal, the additional deputy commissioner of police (south district).

The engineer was arrested because of the serious charges against him, and produced him before a city court that remanded him in jail.

“The woman broke their friendship but he kept harassing her. She is in trauma and her statement before the magistrate could not be recorded on Tuesday. She is being counseled,” an officer said.