Police in Himachal Pradesh have booked three female students and a college professor on charges of ragging and sexual assault following the death of a second-year student at a government degree college in Dharamshala. Officials said the student recorded a video on her mobile phone before her death, detailing alleged sexual and mental harassment she faced on campus.
According to a complaint filed by the victim’s father, the student was allegedly subjected to severe ragging by three fellow students, identified as Harshita, Akriti and Komolika, on September 18. He claimed they assaulted her and threatened her to remain silent. The complaint also named Ashok Kumar, a professor at the college, accusing him of inappropriate physical contact and mental harassment.
The father stated that his daughter suffered extreme stress due to the alleged behaviour of the professor, which adversely affected her health. She was treated at multiple hospitals before succumbing on December 26 while undergoing treatment at DMC Hospital in Ludhiana. The family said they delayed filing a complaint due to trauma and approached authorities only after discovering the video recorded by the student.
Police have registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Himachal Pradesh Educational Institutions (Prohibition of Ragging) Act, 2009. While the initial probe focused on ragging, it has now expanded to examine sexual harassment allegations and the student’s medical history.
The college administration denied receiving any prior complaint and claimed the student was academically ineligible for promotion, asserting cooperation with the investigation.
