The police have launched an investigation into allegations of ragging, sexual assault and the death of a 19-year-old girl student of Government Degree College, Dharamsala, Superintendent of Police Ashok Rattan said here yesterday.
However, the SP confirmed that no arrests had been made till the filing of this report, even as statements of the victim’s family, alleged accused persons and other individuals linked to the case were being recorded.
He said the investigation would be conducted “in a time-bound and transparent manner”, and that culpability would be determined strictly on the basis of evidence, including medical opinion and digital data.
District Magistrate Hemraj Bairwa said he had directed the police to carry out a fair, thorough and impartial investigation into the incident.
The local police have registered a case under Sections 75, 115(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, along with Section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Educational Institution (Prohibition of Ragging) Act, 2009.
The FIR names Ashok Kumar, a professor of the college, and three girl students — Harshita, Aakriti and Komolika — at the Dharamsala police station.
According to the victim’s father, Vikram Kumar, his daughter was assaulted by three fellow students, whom he identified as Harshita, Aakriti and Komolika. He alleged that they abused her, physically assaulted her, recorded a video of the incident and threatened her.
The aggrieved father further claimed that before her death, she had also accused a college professor of subjecting her to ragging, obscene gestures, verbal abuse and intimidation. He said his daughter showed signs of severe psychological distress and lived in constant fear following the alleged incidents.
Vikram Kumar said she was taken to several medical institutions in Himachal Pradesh and Punjab for treatment due to her deteriorating mental and physical health. She ultimately died while undergoing treatment at Dayanand Medical College (DMC), Ludhiana, on December 26 last year.
Police officials said that medical records from all hospitals where the student received treatment had become a crucial component of the investigation. Investigators are attempting to establish whether there is a direct causal link between the alleged harassment and her eventual death.
Meanwhile, the Principal of Government Degree College, Dharamsala, Rakesh Pathania, denied receiving any complaint of ragging or harassment from either the victim or her family. He stated that the student had failed her examinations last year and was seeking admission to the next academic year, which, he said, was not permissible under college rules.
Despite the serious allegations, neither the state government nor the college authorities have initiated any departmental action against the accused professor so far, drawing criticism from various quarters.
As the investigation continues, the case has triggered widespread outrage, with demands growing for swift arrests and an independent inquiry to ensure accountability and justice for the deceased student.
