Himachal govt. initiates probe into Dharamshala college girl’s death; assistant professor suspended

The Himachal Pradesh government on Saturday (January 3, 3036) suspended an assistant professor of a government college in Dharamshala following charges of sexual harassment linked to a 19-year-old Dalit student’s death in December 2025.

The police, on January 1, registered cases against the professor and three girl students of Government Degree College on allegations of ragging and voluntarily causing hurt to the victim.

The State government has formed a four-member committee, led by Additional Director of Higher Education Harish Kumar, for fact-finding and conducting preliminary inquiry into the death of the girl student. The probe will examine all aspects, including alleged sexual harassment by the professor and caste-based abuse, according to Director of Education Amarjeet Sharma’s order.

The accused, Ashok Kumar, assistant professor of Geography, has been put under immediate suspension, pending the outcome of the inquiry, said the order. It further stated, “During the period of suspension, the headquarters of Ashok Kumar shall be at the Directorate of Higher Education in Shimla and he shall not leave the headquarters without obtaining prior permission of the higher authorities.”

‘Girl was beaten up, harassed’

The committee will submit a comprehensive report within three days after examining all aspects of alleged harassment, sexual assault, ragging and caste-based comments by college teachers and students.

Speaking with media persons in Kandaghat in Solan, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said strict action would be taken against all those involved.

The victim died at a hospital in Punjab’s Ludhiana on December 26, 2025. Her father alleged that on September 18, 2025, she was beaten up and intimidated by three students — Harshita, Aakriti, and Komolika, and that Ashok Kumar, the professor, engaged in obscene acts with her. Following these incidents, the girl was severely traumatised and fell seriously ill. She was treated at multiple hospitals before she died at a hospital.

The police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) under Sections 75 (sexual harassment), 115 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 3 (5) (common intention) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 3 of Himachal Pradesh Educational Institutions (Prohibition of) Ragging Act 2009, against the accused and an investigation is under way.