Himachal ragging-linked death: Assistant Professor suspended; HP govt, UGC order separate probes

Shimla (HP), Jan 3 (PTI) As outrage mounted over the death of a 19-year-old Dalit student, the Himachal Pradesh government on Saturday suspended an assistant professor booked on charges of sexually harassing her and announced an inquiry into allegations, including those of ragging and cast related abuse of the victim, while the University Grants Commission also set up a fact-finding committee.

The accused, Assistant Professor (Geography) Ashok Sharma of Government College, Dharamshala, in Kangra district, denied the allegations. Police said he was being questioned.

Taking serious note of the case, the National Commission for Women said it highlights the "serious failure of the security mechanism in educational campuses" and directed the state Director General of Police to ensure immediate arrest of all the accused, fair and time-bound investigation, preservation of post-mortem and medical records and strict action under the various laws.

Kangra police said the investigation in the case, registered on the complaint of the deceased girl's father, is being conducted by the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Dharamshala, and all relevant evidence, including medical records, video clips and statements of witnesses, are being collected.

"The family members of the deceased woman have been included in the investigation and the police team took some documents and a mobile phone in possession. The accused assistant professor is being questioned," said Additional Superintendent of Police, Kangra, Veer Bahadur.

The police said that according to the college administration, they did not receive any written complaint regarding ragging.

A case of sexual harassment under section 75 of BNS was registered against Ashok Sharma, while three female students were booked for voluntarily causing hurt and common intention under section 115(2) and 3(5) of BNS besides Section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Educational Institution (Prohibition of) Ragging Act 2009 on Thursday (January 1).

The order of the assistant professor's suspension came hours after the Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu promised strict action in the matter.

"Based on the video statement of the deceased woman in which she had named the professor, the accused professor would be immediately suspended and an inquiry would be initiated against him. Strict action would be taken against all those involved," he told reporters.

According to an order issued by Secretary (Education) Rakesh Kanwar, Assistant Professor Askok Kumar was placed under suspension with immediate effect, pending the outcome of the departmental inquiry "in exercise of the powers conferred under sub-rule (1) of Rule 10 of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1965".

According to the reports appearing in the electronic and print media, the prima facie involvement of Ashok Kumar cannot be ruled out, and in order to ascertain the facts, disciplinary proceedings against him are contemplated, the order said.

A four-member committee headed by Additional Director Higher Education Harish Kumar, with principals of Dhaliara, Baijnath and Naura government colleges as its members, has been constituted to conduct a fact-finding/preliminary inquiry into the death of the student.

The committee would submit a comprehensive report in three days covering all aspects and angles of alleged harassment, sexual assault, ragging and caste related comments by the teachers and the students of the colleges, Director of Higher Education Amarjeet Sharma said.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) also set up a five-member fact-finding committee to investigate the death of the student after the UGC Anti-Ragging Helpline registered a suo-motu complaint. Asserting that student safety is paramount, a senior UGC official said that a serious note of the incident has been taken and the culprits will not be spared.

In his complaint, the student's father alleged that his daughter was beaten by three seniors on September 18, 2025, while the college professor indulged in obscene acts with her. The father alleged that she went into severe mental stress, leading to a rapid deterioration in her health, and died during treatment at a Ludhiana hospital on December 26, the complaint said.

The issue shook the state following a video of the girl becoming public in which she accused the professor of harassing her, committing indecent acts, and mental harassment and intimidation when she protested against his behaviour.

Talking to the PTI Videos, the accused assistant professor termed the allegations as baseless and said, "I do not know why my name was taken. God should take me if I have done wrong." "The deceased woman, a student of BA first year in 2024-25, was my student like others, and if my suspension paves the way for an impartial inquiry into the case, I am ready", he said.

The accused, who has got anticipatory bail, said that he is a father of two girls and has 2.5 years of service left. He also denied any incident of ragging in the college and maintained that there is zero tolerance against ragging and harassment.

The National Commission for Women said it has sought a detailed Action Taken Report (ATR) from state authorities within five days.

The NCW said its chairperson has written to the Director General of Police, Himachal Pradesh, "directing immediate registration of an FIR, arrest of all the accused, fair and time-bound investigation, preservation of post-mortem and medical records, and ensuring strict action under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, laws preventing sexual harassment, and anti-ragging regulations." "In addition, instructions have been issued for departmental action against guilty/negligent faculty members, review of the anti-ragging mechanism in the college, and strengthening of campus security, awareness, and counselling arrangements. In this regard, instructions have been given to submit a detailed Action Taken Report (ATR) to the Commission within 5 days," it said in a statement.

The Himachal Scheduled Caste Commission and the state women's commission have also sought a report in this regard from the Kangra Superintendent of Police.

The Kangra police said in its statement on Saturday that the investigation team has already reached Ludhiana to obtain the complete treatment records and to record statements of the medical professionals who treated the victim.

Meanwhile, members of the Ambedkar Mahasabha protested in Dharamshala on Saturday, demanding justice for the victim. Talking to mediapersons, the outfit's state president and Zila Parishad member from Sulah, Roop Rekha, said, "This is not a death from depression, but an attempt to murder, and the police are also responsible for the death as they failed to act in time. Moreover, sections of the SC/ST Act have not been included in the FIR." The police had maintained that a complaint was initially received through the Chief Minister's Sankalp Seva Helpline, but the student's statement could not be recorded as she was unwell at the time. The police later recorded the statement of her father.

Preliminary investigations by the police pointed out that the student was enrolled in the college in 2024. She allegedly faced ragging by some students and failed her BA first-year examination. She subsequently stopped attending college after the results were declared in July 2025.

Her name was struck off the college rolls on August 21, 2025. The student is believed to have visited the college again in September seeking admission, where she was informed that she would be admitted to the second year if she cleared the re-evaluation, failing which she would have to re-enrol in the first year. PTI BPL GJS RT RT