Bengaluru, March 26 (IANS): A professor at a private medical college on the outskirts of Bengaluru was allegedly assaulted by students after he reportedly proposed to a female student inside a classroom during a lecture, police said on Thursday.

Authorities have taken the case seriously as the professor and the female student are from different communities.

The incident has been reported from the college under the jurisdiction of the Nelamangala Rural Police Station. Police have launched a hunt for the accused. A video of the incident has gone viral, raising concerns among the public.

According to police, the incident occurred while the class was in progress. The professor allegedly offered a chocolate to a girl student and expressed his feelings in front of the entire class.

The student immediately objected to his behaviour and questioned him in the classroom. The situation escalated when the student allegedly hit the professor with her slipper.

Following the confrontation, other students, angered by the professor’s conduct, reportedly chased him across the campus and assaulted him. He was allegedly thrashed near his car. Fearing further attack, the professor managed to escape from the spot.

According to preliminary information, the professor allegedly said in the classroom that he was proposing to a “very important girl” from the batch and distributed chocolates to students. The girl student, however, firmly rejected his behaviour and asked him to take the matter to the college Principal instead.

The video shows the professor stating in class that he was unable to resist his feelings for a girl from the batch and that he was proposing to her. "I am distributing chocolates to a very important girl of this batch and also to all of you," he said, before adding: "I love you."

The female student confronted the professor and questioned when she had ever proposed to him. She further asked him to speak to the principal if he wished to discuss the matter, adding that the entire class would accompany him. The professor then challenged the student, asking how she could have proposed to him, to which the student again responded by asking when she had done so.

The professor claimed that there was proof in the CCTV footage. The student challenged him to show the footage immediately. However, the professor attempted to avoid the situation by saying he would discuss it the next day. The student replied that she was not interested in discussing it at all. Despite the confrontation, the professor was later seen asking students to take chocolates. Further investigation is in progress.

(IANS)

This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.