The accused, Abdul Aleem Ansari, was presented in court on Friday, and the police have sought his judicial remand. He has since been sent to 14 days of judicial custody.
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An assistant professor, deployed as an external examiner at a government science degree college in Roorkee, Haridwar, was arrested on Thursday for allegedly molesting 12 female undergraduate students during their viva-voce examination.
The accused, Abdul Aleem Ansari, was presented in court on Friday, and the police have sought his judicial remand. He has since been sent to 14 days of judicial custody.
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According to the police, the incident occurred when Ansari, 55, called the B Sc second-semester students into a closed room for their physics practicals. The victims alleged that Ansari inappropriately touched them, including placing his hand on their backs and attempting to grope them from behind.
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Initially, the victims did not speak up, each believing the misconduct had only happened to her. However, after discussing their experiences, they discovered that at least 12 students had faced similar behaviour. The students then approached the college administration to report the incident.
Shockingly, one of the victims reported that Ansari not only molested her but also wrote his phone number on her hand and asked her to call him at night.
Two of the victims belong to a different religious community, though the police have not confirmed any communal angle to the incident.
Following student protests on campus, a formal complaint was lodged at Gangnahar Police Station. The demonstration caused a commotion, prompting swift action by the college management, who called the police. Ansari was taken into custody the same day.
“Preliminary investigations confirm that the accused molested the girls during the viva-voce examination. He was arrested on Thursday and produced in court on Friday. He has been remanded to 14 days of judicial custody,” said RK Saklani, Station House Officer of Gangnahar Police Station.
Ansari is an assistant professor at Churiyala Degree College, Bhagwanpur in Haridwar, and a resident of Doiwala, Dehradun. He was assigned to Roorkee Government Degree College as an external examiner for the physics practicals.
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