Lecturer held, Professor booked for sexual harassment in Telangana

The Telangana Police has arrested a lecturer and booked an Assistant Professor of a university in different cases of sexual harassement, police said on Monday.

In the first incident, a lecturer of a private junior college in Hanamkonda town of Warangal Urban district was arrested by the police.

T. Ranjit Kumar was taken into custody on Saturday after it was prima facie established that he was sending lewd messages to female students, the police said.

He had given his mobile number to some students who were weak in academics, offering to help them. When students contacted him to get their doubts clarified, he saved their numbers and harassed them by sending objectionable message through SMS or WhatsApp.

One of the victims informed her parents, who then complained to Police Commissioner V. Ravinder through WhatsApp. On the direction of Police Commissioner, a police team began the probe. A case was registered after it found prima facie evidence against the accused.

In another case, Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies (RGUKT), Basara in Nirmal district sacked head of chemistry department following allegations that he was allegedly seeking sexual favours from a student in exchange for awarding her pass marks.

Varala Ravi was dismissed after a committee constituted by RGUKT Vice Chancellor A. Ashok found him guilty. He had allegedly called female student who failed in exams to come to his house. He was also sending obscene messages to her.

Student groups and women organisations staged a protest at RGUKT.