Himachal CM Sukhu orders suspension of professor after student dies amid ragging, sexual abuse allegations

Himachal Pradesh Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu

• Himachal govt suspends professor after student death linked to ragging, assault
• Police investigate ragging, assault, and sexual abuse claims against faculty, students
• Women's Commission demands probe; accused professor denies allegations

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The Himachal Pradesh government on Saturday moved to suspend a college professor following the death of a student in Dharamshala, amid serious allegations of ragging, physical assault and sexual abuse that are now under investigation.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced action against the accused faculty member, Ashok Kumar, after police registered cases based on a complaint filed by the victim’s father, reported News18. “The professor will be suspended with immediate effect, Inquiry has been ordered in this matter,” the Chief Minister said.

According to the complaint, the student was allegedly subjected to ragging and physical assault by three senior female students -- identified as Harshita, Aakriti and Komolika -- on September 18, 2025.

The father further alleged that the professor indulged in obscene acts with his daughter during the same period. He claimed the continued harassment and intimidation left her deeply traumatised, causing severe mental distress and a sharp deterioration in her health.

The student was treated at several hospitals across Himachal Pradesh as her condition worsened. She was later referred to a hospital in Ludhiana, where she died while undergoing treatment on December 26, 2025.

Taking cognisance of the matter, Himachal Pradesh Women’s Commission Chairperson Vidya Negi said the panel has sought detailed inputs from the police. “We have taken cognizance of the matter. We have called the SP and also requested a written report. We have urged them to investigate every aspect of the case. If anyone is found guilty, they should be punished. A thorough investigation should be conducted. The government is also sensitive to such incidents,” she said.

Police have booked the three students under Sections 75, 115(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Educational Institutions (Prohibition of Ragging) Act, 2009.

The probe is examining allegations of ragging, physical violence, intimidation and sexual misconduct, as well as the sequence of events that allegedly led to the student’s decline in health.

Preliminary findings suggest the deceased enrolled in the college in 2024 and later failed her BA first-year examination. Investigators said she stopped attending classes after the results were declared in July 2025, and her name was removed from the rolls on August 21.

Meanwhile, the accused professor has denied all charges, stating that the student was not enrolled under him during the current academic session. Some members of the teaching staff have also come out in his support, even as the inquiry continues.