SHIMLA/DHARAMSHALA, JANUARY 02, 2026 — Authorities in Himachal Pradesh have registered a criminal case against three senior students for ragging and a college professor for sexual harassment following the death of a 19-year-old student.
The victim passed away on December 26 while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Ludhiana, leading her father to file a formal complaint on Thursday. The complaint alleges that the student was physically assaulted by three seniors—Harshita, Aakriti, and Komolika—on September 18, 2025, and was subjected to obscene acts and mental harassment by Professor Ashok Kumar.
According to the victim’s family, the trauma and physical injuries resulted in severe mental stress and a rapid decline in her health, which ultimately proved fatal.The Kangra Police have registered the case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for sexual harassment and voluntarily causing hurt, alongside Section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Educational Institution (Prohibition of) Ragging Act 2009.
Kangra Superintendent of Police (SP) Ashok Ratan confirmed that investigators are currently examining medical records, statements, and a viral video recorded by the victim on her deathbed, in which she purportedly detailed the professor’s indecent behavior and intimidation tactics.
While the accused professor has denied the allegations, several political and social organizations, including the ABVP and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), have demanded an impartial and senior-level inquiry into the matter.
The case has sparked significant public outcry and calls for a judicial probe, particularly as the deceased belonged to the Dalit community. Himachal Scheduled Caste Commission Chairperson Kuldeep Kumar has sought a detailed report from the police and warned of protests if the investigation is delayed.
Preliminary police findings indicate that the student had struggled academically and was seeking re-admission at the time of the alleged assault in September. As the probe intensifies, social activists have staged demonstrations at the Ridge in Shimla, highlighting concerns over the safety of students and the law-and-order situation within the state’s educational institutions.
