Himachal: 3 students booked for woman's ragging, college professor for sexual harassment
Shimla/Dharamshala (PTI): Three students of a government college in Himachal Pradesh's Dharamshala have been booked for ragging and voluntarily causing hurt while a professor has been booked for sexual harassment of a 19-year-old woman who died on December 26, police said on Friday.
The woman student died during treatment at a Ludhiana hospital on December 26 and the case was registered on Thursday following a complaint by the father of the victim.
In his complaint, the deceased student's father alleged that his daughter was beaten by three seniors, Harshita, Aakriti and Komolika, on September 18, 2025, while a college professor, Ashok Kumar, indulged in obscene acts with her.
Due to the beating and harassment, the student was hospitalised and she died during treatment, the complaint said. The father of the deceased woman alleged that following these incidents, his daughter went into severe mental stress and fear, leading to a rapid deterioration in her health.
He said that a police complaint could not be lodged earlier as his daughter was traumatised and had to be hospitalised.
A case under sections 75 (sexual harassment), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Educational Institution (Prohibition of) Ragging Act 2009 has been registered and investigations are underway, the police said.
Confirming that a case has been registered, Kangra Superintendent of Police (SP) Ashok Ratan said that all the allegations are being thoroughly investigated. Medical records, video evidence and statements of all concerned are being examined, he said.
The case gained momentum after a video of the victim on her deathbed went viral on social media. In the video, the victim accused the professor of indecent acts, mental harassment and intimidation when she protested against his behaviour.
The police said that a complaint was initially received through the Chief Minister's Sankalp Seva Helpline and an investigation team but the student's statement could not be recorded as she was unwell at the time. The police later recorded the statement of the victim's father.
Preliminary investigations by the police pointed out that the deceased 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 only if she cleared the re-evaluation, failing which she would have to re-enrol in the first year.
Meanwhile, the accused professor has denied all allegations levelled against him. Some teachers have come in support of the professor.
The professor said that the student had studied under him in a previous academic session and was not his student in the current session.
ABVP state secretary Nancy Atal said that the accused should be brought to book to ensure that such incidents do not occur in future.
A delegation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) led by former mayor of Shimla Municipal Corporation, Sanjay Chauhan, on Friday submitted a memorandum to the director general of police here demanding an impartial inquiry into the case by a senior police officer.
Chauhan said that as the woman belonged to the Dalit community, the case should be probed from relevant aspects.
A social activist, Ravi Kumar Dalit, sat on a dharna at the Ridge here demanding a judicial inquiry into the case. Talking to reporters, he said that the law and order situation has deteriorated in the state.
Himachal Scheduled Caste Commission Chairperson Kuldeep Kumar told PTI that a report in this regard has been sought from Kangra SP.
Questioning the role of the police in the case and the "delay" in the investigation, he warned to sit on a dharna outside the chief minister's official residence if a judicial probe was not ordered in the case.
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Experience comes when you play bigger teams in bilateral series: Rashid Khan
Chennai (PTI): Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan called for more bilateral series against stronger cricketing nations after his team signed off from the T20 World Cup on a high, defeating Canada in their final group match here on Thursday.
Afghanistan played some exhilarating cricket, going down to South Africa in a gripping second Super Over after the scores were tied, a humdinger that provided one of the early thrills of the World Cup.
However, the spin-bowling stalwart said Afghanistan could make significant strides if they get regular opportunities to compete against stronger cricketing nations.
"Couple of areas to improve, with the batting, the middle order got a bit stuck against the big teams, and then with the bowling the death overs. That comes when you play the bigger teams in bilateral series," said Rashid after his team defeat Canada by 82 runs, with him returning excellent figures of 2 for 19.
The stalwart said the side had arrived well prepared for the tournament and produced some breathtaking cricket, but admitted the narrow defeat to South Africa proved costly and remained a painful setback.
"We were well-prepared (for the tournament), we played some unbelievable cricket. The game against South Africa, that really hurt everyone. We had to win one of those (first two) games and see how the tournament unfolded. We'll take some positive things from this World Cup and look forward," he said.
With head coach Jonathan Trott set to part ways with the team, Rashid described the departure as an "emotional" moment for the side.
"I think we had some wonderful times with him. Where we are now, he played a main role. It's emotional to see him leave us, but that's how life is. We wish him all the best and somewhere down the line we see him again."
Ibrahim Zadran, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 95 off 56 balls, said it was satisfying to finally register a substantial score after two below-par outings.
"I enjoyed it, didn't play better cricket in first two innings, which I expect. Wanted to back my skills, really enjoyed it. Pressure was there, it's there all the time. I want to put myself in pressure situations and enjoy it," said Zadran.
"Wanted to play positive cricket, rotate strike and punish bad ball, create partnerships and this is what I have done."
