A Hyderabad University professor was arrested on Friday for allegedly sexually assaulting a student from Thailand, reported The Indian Express.
Madhapur Deputy Commission of Police K Shilpavalli said that the incident came to light after the professor, Ravi Ranjan, dropped the student to the university five hours after taking her to his home.
“Her friends found her crying,” Shilpavalli said. “On being asked, she stated that the professor tried to molest her. The girl is a foreigner and only knows Thai.”
The police said they are hoping to get more details by getting a person who speaks Thai.
In her complaint, the student alleged that Ranjan offered her alcohol at his home where they were alone and then tried to molest her, reported the Hindustan Times. The professor has been booked under under Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code.
The university criticised the incident and called it a matter of sexual assault. However, the police said that the student had not been sexually assaulted, according to the Hindustan Times.
Meanwhile, university students are protesting against the professor.
“Despite the severity of the issue, the registrar ignored all the calls and preferred to sleep peacefully at his home while the student community was gathered in support of the student the entire night,” the students’ union said in a statement. “There was a deliberate delay and passing around of responsibilities by the concerned authorities.”
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