MUMBAI: Matunga police have arrested a professor of a prominent engineering college in central Mumbai following a sexual harassment complaint lodged by a female student.
A Matunga police official said they have arrested the professor under Indian Penal Code sections 354 and 354A for outraging a woman’s modesty.Cops said the accused had left the city for his native place in Karnataka when the offence was being registered.

He was produced before the Bhoiwada court on Saturday and remanded to judicial custody. “We are now gathering evidence in the case,” said Bala Kakkad, senior inspector, Matunga police station.

Though the incident took place on May 18, the girl had submitted a complaint letter only to the institute. The institute’s officials handed over the letter to the police two weeks ago after political outfits allegedly put pressure on them for not taking any action.

Yuva Sena, led by Aditya Thackeray, took up the matter with the institute as well as senior police officials. Amol Matele from Nationalist Students’ Congress asked the institute to act against the professor.

Last Monday, the institute director had told TOI they gave the complaint letter to the police and said they would assist them with whatever was required. “The institute conducts special classes in the summer for weaker students. The professor has been asked to not take these classes for now. The internal complaints committee at the institute, which is also probing the matter, is yet to submit its report. We will take action based on the panel’s report,” said the director.

In her complaint, the girl alleged on May 18, the professor of mathematics made her wait for over two hours on the pretext of signing her summer term form, and then called her to his cabin after 5pm, where he molested her and threatened to fail her if she did not listen to him. She returned with her parents the next day to lodge a complaint at the institute.

When the complainant handed him the form, the accused got up from his chair and allegedly touched her inappropriately. The complainant has further accused the professor of forcefully kissing her. The 20-year-old pushed the accused and ran out of the cabin, said the police. “The complainant’s father was at work when he was informed about the incident. He immediately came home and the duo went to the college. They met the director who then asked them to write a letter narrating the incident,” said the friend.