Dental college staff booked for sexually harassing student in Chennai
CHENNAI: A 23-year-old first-year dental student at a private college in Kundrathur has accused a senior administrative officer of sexual harassment and the hostel-in-charge of criminal intimidation. Based on her complaint, police have registered a case under relevant sections, including the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, and launched a search for the accused. Police said the student alleged that the college administration had initially assured her of arranging a scholarship in an attempt to silence her, which she declined. On December 18, the hostel in-charge, Jhansi, allegedly asked her via text message to meet Ramamoorthy, the colleges administrative officer. When the student met him the next day, Ramamoorthy allegedly took her to a place without CCTV coverage, made inappropriate remarks and proposed a relationship, promising personal favours in return. He also threatened to reduce her internal assessment marks and fail her in examinations if she disclosed the incident, the complaint stated. The student further alleged that after she shared the incident with a friend, Jhansi confiscated her mobile phone, checked her call records, verbally abused her in front of male staff members, and forced her to write declarations that she was not subjected to harassment. Though the phone was later returned, the student deleted the text exchanges between her and Jhansi out of fear. Distressed, she informed her parents. When her mother attempted to meet the administrative officer the next day, she was denied permission. The student and her mother then approached the police. Police said cases have been registered for obscene acts, criminal intimidation, and harassment of women, and efforts are on to secure the accused.
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