Hyderabad varsity prof held for molesting foreign student

A University of Hyderabad (UoH) professor was taken into custody for allegedly trying to misbehave with a foreign student, police said on Saturday.

The 62-year-old man was booked for allegedly attempting to outrage the woman's modesty and for sexual harassment and the case was registered under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) on a complaint by a university official.

The professor has been placed under suspension by the varsity.

The professor, who works in Hindi department, allegedly took the woman, who hails from Thailand, to his residence on Friday evening, saying he would take Hindi classes and tried to misbehave with her.

He was alone at home when the incident happened.

The woman, a post graduate student, could not communicate in English or Hindi and her statement was recorded by taking the help of a translator, a police official said.

According to her, the professor mixed liquor in a drink without her knowledge, he said.

The activists of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) gathered at the university and held a protest demanding stringent action against the accused.

The university issued a statement condemning the incident involving the professor and the student.

Based on the criminal complaint under investigation with the Gachibowli police station, the professor is placed under suspension with immediate effect, the statement said.