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MNNIT prof sent to jail for alleged rape of BTech student
MNNIT-Allahabad said it acted promptly after learning of the alleged “indecent and objectionable behaviour” involving a faculty member and contacted senior police officials before handing him over to the police.
A professor at Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT)-Allahabad was arrested and sent to jail on Tuesday for allegedly raping a third-year BTech student at his residence, police said. Shivkuti police recorded the student’s statement and conducted her medical examination as part of the investigation.
According to police, the Odisha native met MNNIT computer science and engineering professor Saugat Roy when her parents and sister visited Prayagraj. Her mother had sought his help with her daughter’s studies, after which the family had dinner at his residence.
The student alleged that after her family left on August 6, Roy contacted her on Snapchat and began making objectionable remarks. On August 9, around 1pm, he allegedly called her to his room on the pretext of helping her study, held her hands and threatened to fail her before sexually assaulting her, according to the complaint.
Shivkuti station house officer (SHO) Virendra Singh said Roy, a native of Krishnapur in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, was produced before a court and sent to jail on Tuesday. Further legal action is underway, he said.
Meanwhile, MNNIT-Allahabad said it acted promptly after learning of the alleged “indecent and objectionable behaviour” involving a faculty member and contacted senior police officials before handing him over to the police.
Registrar Ambak Kumar Rai said the institute also conducted a preliminary inquiry and suspended the accused faculty member with immediate effect. Further action under institute rules is in process, he said.
“The institute does not tolerate any form of indecent, inappropriate or objectionable conduct,” Rai said, adding that MNNIT was extending institutional support to the student and fully cooperating with the police investigation and legal proceedings.
The institute said the student’s personal details were being withheld to protect her privacy and dignity.
Meanwhile, the institute’s Board of Governors (BoG) held an emergency meeting to consider the internal inquiry committee’s report and reportedly decided to initiate the accused teacher’s dismissal process as per rules, though institute officials have not formally confirmed this.
The case also sparked anger among students, with a large number gathering at the athletics ground on Tuesday and demanding strict action against the accused. They sought greater accountability from the administration over female students’ safety and called for stronger security, particularly at teachers’ residences, hostels and other vulnerable locations. Students also demanded a more effective grievance redressal mechanism and prompt action on complaints by female students.
