Gujarat: College professor booked for sexually harassing six female students

A professor of a self-financed interior design college in Gujarat’s Anand district was booked for allegedly sexually harassing six students during a lecture.

A professor of a self-financed interior design college in Gujarat’s Anand district was booked for allegedly sexually harassing six students during a lecture, police said on Sunday.

A college professor in Gujarat’s Vallabh Vidyanagar town has been accused of sexually harassing six students during a lecture. He was then allegedly shielded by the college principal who didn’t take action on an internal complaint.

Principal Kavita Patel, was also named in the case for allegedly shielding the accused Dhaval Panchasara, police sub-inspector AC Parmar said.

“We have registered an FIR against Panchasara under section 354(A) of the IPC for sexual harassment. We have also booked principal Kavita Patel under IPC section 114 for abetting the crime,” he said.

The FIR was registered on Friday based on a complaint by a female student. In the complaint, the student alleged that Panchasara inappropriately touched and five other girls during a lecture in August on the Vallabh Vidyanagar town campus.

“The victim alleged that when she along with the other girls took up the matter with the college principal and requested her to take action against Panchasara, she allegedly took his side. The victim also claimed that Patel threatened her for raising this issue,” Parmar said.

No arrests have been made so far and an investigation is underway.