Daijiworld Media Network – Jaipur (SP)

Jaipur, Jun 30: A research scholar of Rajasthan University has accused her guide of sexually harassing her and of seeking sexual favours from her. The accused, a professor in Rajasthan University, has been arrested by the police, based on this complaint. He has been identified as Dr R K Singhal, a professor in the department of physics. It is learnt that the student’s complaint to the university authorities earlier had gone unheeded.

The incident has come as a rude shock to the student fraternity and teachers of the university. Angry over the development, students enforced bandh in the campus. They demanded for the dismissal of the teachers, whose names have been mentioned in the complaint.

The lady claimed that her research guide had been harassing her since the last some months. She said in her complaint that the professor had sought sex from her, if she nursed hopes of completing her PhD course successfully. She also has alleged that Singhal and one of his colleagues named S N Dolia, had blackmailed her in an attempt to force her to succumb to his desires, by morphing faces of participants in some obscene pictures to look like her.

Jaipur commissioner of police, B L Soni, said that the professor sought to have sexual relationship with the girl, when she submitted her thesis. He added that the professor was arrested after satisfying that the allegations contained in the complaint were prima facie true. In the meanwhile, Singhal and Dolia have been suspended from service. The university also sought a probe by two retired High Court judges into the allegations.

As per the government guidelines, sexual harassment cases have to be handled on priority and with all seriousness, in line with the procedures outlined in law. It is not yet clear as to why did the university authorities not act upon the student’s complaint earlier.