BHU Sanskrit student accused of molesting PG student, varsity suspends him pending acquital

The Banaras Hindu University has suspended a student of the Department of Sahitya, Faculty of Sanskrit Vidya Dharma Vigyan (SVDV) after a female student of BHU accused him of molestation and abuse and filed an FIR against him with the Lanka Police Station near the campus.

An FIR was filed against Upkar Dubey, a student of Sahitya at the SVDV, on August 17, under IPC Sections 354 (assault on women), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 504 (intentionally insulting or provocating anyone) by a postgraduate student of Economics at BHU. A university committee submitted its report on the issue the very day and Upkar was suspended pending acquittal. Till then he is suspended from the university and the hostel. He cannot enter the premises without prior written permission from the Registrar.

The notice from the Deputy Registrar's office said that the student has been suspended according to BHU's discipline ordinances which state, "Any student, who is accused of, or involved in, an offence involving moral turpitude or heinous crime and is wanted by the police or has been released on bail in connection with any such offence, or detained under any provision, or against whom police investigation or criminal prosecution for any such offence is pending, of enquiry under UP Goonda Act is initiated, shall stand suspended from all privileges and activities of the University and hostel."

Upkar is a resident of the Khushinagar district in Uttar Pradesh, 240 km from the BHU campus in Varanasi. Details of the incident that was reported were not divulged by the university or the local police.