Shimla, Jan 5: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has assured a transparent, rigorous and time-bound probe into the death of a 19-year-old Dalit student, who died during treatment last month after allegedly facing sexual harassment and ragging at a government college, officials said on Sunday.
The chief minister spoke to the bereaved family over the phone on Saturday night and reiterated the state government’s zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and injustice, assuring them of all possible support, according to an official statement.
The student died on December 26, 2025, while undergoing treatment. Her father has alleged that she was beaten by three senior students on September 18, 2025, and that an assistant professor at the college subjected her to sexual harassment and obscene acts.
Following the registration of an FIR for sexual harassment, Assistant Professor (Geography) Ashok Kumar of Government College, Dharamshala, has been suspended, officials said.
A video of the student also surfaced on social media, in which she accused the professor of mental harassment, indecent behaviour and intimidation. The father alleged that the incidents pushed his daughter into severe mental stress, leading to a rapid deterioration in her health.
Besides the case against the professor, the police have also booked three female students under Sections 115(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Educational Institution (Prohibition of) Ragging Act, 2009, for allegedly assaulting the victim.
Meanwhile, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has constituted a five-member fact-finding committee to probe the incident after the Anti-Ragging Helpline registered a suo motu complaint.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has also taken suo motu cognisance of the matter and sought an Action Taken Report (ATR) from the Himachal Pradesh police within five days.
The Himachal Scheduled Caste Commission and the State Women’s Commission have likewise sought reports from the Kangra Superintendent of Police, as multiple agencies continue to monitor the case.
