The alleged sexual abuse of students by the 54-year-old head of department and chief proctor of a government-aided college in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras was flagged to the college and district administration in October 2023, only to be brushed under the carpet – until an anonymous complainant gained the courage to blow the lid off the case last month.
The professor, Rajnish Kumar, was booked by the Hathras police on Saturday for allegedly raping several women students and filming the act. He is currently on the run.
Officials The Indian Express spoke to said a letter, purportedly written by a college student, was submitted to the District Magistrate in October 2023, first flagging the alleged incidents.
“Following the complaint, the then District Magistrate formed a committee to probe the matter, but its report was never made public,” said an official.
When The Indian Express contacted the current Hathras District Magistrate, Rahul Pandey, he said he was not aware of the committee and the matter came to his knowledge a couple of days ago. “We have formed a (new) committee to probe the matter, which includes the Basic Sikhsha Adhikari, the Circle Officer, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate and a woman tehsildar,” said Pandey.
In 2023, the college had also appointed an internal complaints committee to probe the allegations. Principal Dr Mahavir Singh Chonkar, however, told The Indian Express the allegations could not be proved. “The girl who had filed the complaint told us someone had used her identity to file the complaint and that she was never sexually assaulted by the professor,” claimed Chonkar.
He claimed the woman also signed an affidavit confirming this and saying the complaint was filed to tarnish the reputation of the college and the professor.
Some students The Indian Express spoke to recalled that the teachers had asked them if the professor had ever misbehaved with them, and they had to sign a sheet of paper stating he hadn’t.
In August 2024, Kumar was appointed as the Chief Proctor of the college, giving him even more power than he wielded as a head of department. In fact, he has also been heading the college teachers association since 2023.
While Kumar managed to survive the last round of allegations, on February 15, the district administration received a fresh complaint. This time, however, it was accompanied by purported videos and photos of the sexual abuse. “Two complaints were filed – one with the National Commission for Women and the other with the district administration,” an official said.
According to the police, the complaints were anonymous, with the complainant writing that she anticipated a threat to her life. “We began an enquiry into the matter,” said Superintendent of Police, Hathras, Chriranjeev Nath Sinha, adding that an FIR was eventually filed on March 13 under sections of rape, sexual intercourse by a person in authority and the IT Act.
Officials say they believe the videos go back four to five years and at least six students may have been targeted.
On March 15, the college administration suspended Kumar from all positions, Chonkar said.
According to the principal, Kumar was appointed as an assistant professor in February 2001 and promoted to head of the department in 2016.
“He was an alumnus of Aligarh Muslim University and was appointed by the Uttar Pradesh Uchchatar Shiksha Sewa Aayog,” Chonkar said.
Sinha, the Hathras Superintendent of Police, said Kumar allegedly sexually assaulted women under the pretext of helping them get jobs or pass exams. “He allegedly recorded videos and uploaded them on websites,” the SP said.
According to police, some of the purported videos appear to have been shot in his department. Sources said he had stored them in a pen drive, which he forgot in college one day, blowing the case wide open.
In 2023, the college had also appointed an internal complaints committee to probe the allegations. 
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