Kamal Ghorui
BENGALURU: What began as a bizarre classroom episode has now escalated into a serious criminal case, with police arresting a medical college professor for allegedly proposing to a student during a lecture—an act that sparked outrage, protests, and violence on campus. The accused, identified as Abdul Rehman Sharif, attached to the Department of Microbiology, was arrested late Thursday night. A senior police officer confirmed the arrest, adding that further investigation is underway. The principal of the college, Divakar SV, filed a complaint with the Nelamangala Rural Police Station on Thursday afternoon. The controversy erupted at Sri Siddhartha Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre in T Begur near Nelamangala, in Bengaluru Rural district, after videos of the incident—recorded by students—went viral on Thursday. The college is governed by a trust chaired by state home minister G. Parameshwara, according to its website. The complaint states that, following earlier allegations of inappropriate behaviour, the professor had been issued a notice directing him to appear for questioning and was specifically instructed not to enter the college premises. However, in violation of these directions, he allegedly entered the campus on March 23. During his presence on campus, the professor is accused of forcibly holding the hand of a student and behaving in an indecent manner in both the afternoon and evening. The incident reportedly caused panic and confusion among students, disrupted the academic environment, and raised serious concerns about safety on campus. The principal further alleged that the professor’s actions not only amounted to harassment but also trespass, as he ignored explicit instructions to stay away from the institution. Copies of complaints submitted by students have also been attached to the police complaint as supporting evidence. TOI had earlier reported that three videos recorded on students’ mobile phones were widely circulated. In the footage, the professor is seen addressing a classroom from the podium around 12 pm on March 25, as indicated by the timestamp, claiming he “couldn’t resist the immense love” from the batch and announcing that he wished to propose to “one of the most important girls” in the class. He then said “I love you” to the student and arranged for chocolates to be distributed among classmates. The student immediately objected, asking him to take the matter to the principal. What followed was a heated exchange, with the professor insisting that she had earlier confessed her feelings and even claiming there was CCTV footage to prove it. The student demanded that he produce the footage. The professor then walked out, saying he would speak to her the next day. However, tensions escalated rapidly. Within minutes, the confrontation spilled onto the campus, where an agitated group of students allegedly chased and assaulted him. The girl reportedly struck him with her slipper, while others joined in, verbally abusing and physically attacking him. The professor eventually fled the scene. Based on the complaint filed by the principal, a case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 74 (assault or use of criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 75(1) (sexual harassment), and 329 (criminal trespass and house-trespass).
