CHENNAI: A senior professor of the Industrial Engineering department at Anna University was arrested on Friday after a final-year student filed a complaint of sexual harassment against him.
The professor Gnanavel Babu, who has been suspended by the university administration, was arrested from Tirunelveli, following an FIR registered at the Abiramapuram All-Women Police station.
The complainant, who is pursuing her final-year bachelor's degree at Anna University, is a resident at the Anna University hostel in Chennai. According to her complaint, Babu allegedly subjected her to continuous sexual harassment, both in person and by sending obscene text messages, over the past three years.
The student lodged a complaint on Thursday night at the office of the Chennai Commissioner of Police, requesting appropriate action against the professor.
Senior police officers forwarded the complaint to the Deputy Commissioner of Mylapore and ordered a thorough investigation. Following the directive, the Abiramapuram All-Women Police commenced an inquiry into the complaint.
A case has been registered under the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, 1998, and Section 78 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for stalking, said a senior police officer.
Amid the registration of the police case and the escalating protests, the university management issued an official order placing the professor under immediate suspension pending a full internal and police inquiry.
Police sources stated that the professor was initially untraceable, and the police tracked him down to Tirunelveli by evening.
In her complaint, the student stated that several other students had also been victimised by the professor, and she had requested a confidential inquiry within her department
The university campus witnessed significant unrest as students hit the streets, alleging that despite complaining twice, authorities failed to take any concrete action
The protesters demanded the immediate removal of the professor and a complete overhaul of the campus safety grievance mechanism