Daijiworld Media Network - Dharamsala
Dharamsala, Jan 2: A college professor and three girl students have been booked on charges of ragging, sexual harassment and abetment linked to the death of a 19-year-old student of Government Degree College, Dharamsala, police said on Thursday night.
An FIR has been registered at Dharamsala police station under Sections 75, 115(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Educational Institutions (Prohibition of Ragging) Act, 2009 against college professor Ashok Kumar and three students — Harshita, Aakriti and Komolika.
The case was registered based on a complaint filed by the victim’s father Vikram Kumar, a resident of Sidhbari, Dharamsala. According to police, his daughter Pallavi (19) was a second-year student at the college.
In his complaint, Vikram Kumar alleged that on September 18, 2025, the three students physically assaulted and intimidated his daughter on the college premises. He further alleged that professor Ashok Kumar subjected Pallavi to obscene acts.
Police said the complainant stated that following the alleged harassment and intimidation, Pallavi became extremely frightened and mentally disturbed, leading to a steady deterioration in her health. She was initially treated at multiple hospitals in Himachal Pradesh before being referred to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, where she died during treatment on December 26, 2025.
The father told police that he could not approach authorities earlier as his daughter remained critically ill and traumatised for a prolonged period. The family was also in deep shock after her death, which caused the delay in lodging the complaint.
A senior police official said that after a preliminary inquiry, a case was registered and a detailed investigation is under way to examine allegations of ragging, physical assault, intimidation and sexual misconduct, and to ascertain whether these incidents contributed to the student’s declining health and death.
Statements of Pallavi’s classmates, teachers, college authorities and family members will be recorded as part of the probe. Medical records from all hospitals where she received treatment, including Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, are also being collected to establish the exact cause of death and any possible link to the alleged harassment.
Superintendent of Police Ashok Rattan said the investigation would be conducted thoroughly and impartially, and all aspects of the case would be examined.