AMU prof booked for sexual harassment

Sent ‘inappropriate SMSes’ to foreign research scholar.

An assistant professor of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has been booked for alleged sexual harassment of a foreign research scholar who is doing PhD under him. The police registered the case against him Friday night at the Civil Lines police station.

AMU vice-chancellor Lt Gen (Retd) Zameer Uddin Shah Saturday placed the assistant professor under suspension in the wake of the charges.

AMU’s Public Relation Officer Rahat Abrar said the action was taken against the assistant professor after allegations against him were found prima facie true in an inquiry ordered into the matter.

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“Direction has also been issued by the University V-C that the assistant professor should not leave Aligarh without his permission,” said Abrar. He added the university’s committee, which is conducting an inquiry, found that over three dozen inappropriate SMSes were sent to the victim, most of them late night.

The assistant professor, who is in his 40s, is with the department of Business Administration.

Two days ago, the victim met the Senior Superintendent of Police, Aligarh, Nitin Tiwari and filed a complaint with him. The SSP forwarded it to the university and the police station concerned.

The V-C ordered an inquiry to be conducted by a nine-member Committee Against Sexual Harassment And For Gender Sensitization (CASHFGS), which comprises eight women members. The inquiry is on.

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Inspector, Civil Lines Police Station, Haider Raza Zaidi said the case been lodged under section 354-D of the IPC.

In December last year, Mohammad Shabbir, who was chairman of Law Department in AMU, was booked on charges of sexual harassment of a post-graduate girl student of the department.

He was suspended after the women cell of the university found the allegations against him to be ‘prima facie’ true.

UPDATE: The concerned professor has informed recently that the trial Court had acquitted him. The State had filed an criminal appeal No. 177/2018 where he was convicted for offence punishable u/s 354 (1) (iv) IPC and sentenced. The Hon’ble High Court vide Judgment dt 18.02.2025 in the Criminal Revision found that the “appeal filed by the State was not maintainable, as the same was not permissible as per provisions made in Section 378(1) (a) of the CrPC.” In view thereof the revision was allowed and the conviction and sentencing, was set aside.

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