Bengaluru: Students protest at Jayanagar College over alleged sexual harassment

On Thursday morning, October 9, tension gripped a private college in Jayanagar, 9th Block, as a large group of students staged a protest demanding action against Prof Sanjeev Kumar Mondal, head of one of the departments, accused of sexually harassing a 19-year-old student. The demonstration began around 9:30 am on the college premises, prompting the management to cancel classes for the day, reported The New Indian Express.

Allegations against professor

According to police reports, Mondal allegedly invited the 19-year-old student, who was struggling with low attendance and poor marks, to his home for lunch, promising to address her academic issues. It is alleged that he sexually harassed her during this visit, sparking outrage among students who demanded his termination from service.

College management’s response

Students claimed that the college management locked them inside the auditorium to control the situation and called the police. However, authorities clarified that the students were not locked in but were asked to gather in the auditorium as the management attempted to persuade them to end the protest. The students also sought to continue their demonstration on the main road outside the college, but were prevented from doing so.

Police investigation

A police officer stated, “After an FIR was registered against Mondal, we issued a notice to him to appear before the investigating officer for questioning on Wednesday. As the matter went viral on social media, Mondal did not go to the police station for questioning.” The ongoing investigation has intensified scrutiny of the incident, fueled by its spread on social media platforms.