MUMBAI, July 25: Students of SNDT College have discovered to their horror that the professor of Psychology who lurked about their campus at Churchgate, offering to assist them with project work and the like, is a molester instead.Shyam Patel (42) alias John D'Souza, who preyed on the students' gullibility for about six months, was arrested on Friday after one of the students of the all-women's university complained to the hostel warden that he had tried to embrace her in a deserted corridor on the sixth floor of the building. Azad Maidan police say Patel had struck up a conversation with Manisha (name changed), a student of Home Science, near the college gate and offered to coach her with her studies. After dropping the names of a few students to win her confidence, Patel suggested that they proceed to his `office'.Mainsha accompanied him to the sixth floor where he held her hand saying he was also a palmist. When she grew increasingly uncomfortable, the girl yelled for help. Some of the hostelites whoheard her screams rushed upstairs and rescued Manisha from the professor's clutches.Once there, another student recognised Patel as having tried to pull the same stunt on her a few days ago. The hostel warden was apprised of the incident and a police complaint was lodged. Patel was immediately arrested.Senior Inspector of the Azad Maidan police, Nagnath Askulkar, told Express Newsline that Patel, who is a salesperson by profession, had been masquerading as a professor and had tried to molest about five to six SNDT students over the last six months.Using the same modus operandi as with Manisha, Patel took advantage of the students' vulnerability as several of them are from other states. Grateful that one of their professor's had expressed an interest in their well-being, the students tended to trust him. Convinced he was a teacher, the girls hesitated to complain, ironically, for fear of being victimised. Patel, a resident of Cuffe Parade, has been charged under Sections 354 (molestation) and 509 (makingobscene gestures) of the Indian Penal Code and remanded to police custody till July 29. Police have urged students who have been similarly molested by Patel to also lodge complaints.Bharati Naik, president of the SNDT College Principals' Forum, said she was not aware of this incident though the university does take precautions to guard against potential molestors. For instance, students are briefed on the matter during their orientation at the beginning of the academic year, she said, adding that the university's college at Malad conducts a security check at the gate. Besides, Bharati adds, the university also coordinates with the local police station which sends plainclothes policemen to the campus.
