IIT-Guwahati Dean Aloke Kumar Ghoshal has been arrested for allegedly raping an office assistant
A professor of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, has been arrested for allegedly raping a woman employee of his department.
According to the woman's complaint, Aloke Kumar Ghosal, the Dean of Academic Affairs and a professor at the department of chemical engineering, had been sexually exploiting her for a month. On December 6, he allegedly raped her.
The police arrested Professor Ghosal - an alumni of IIT Kharagpur - on Tuesday after questioning him the day before. He has been accused of taking advantage of his official position as a public servant and raping a woman.
"He is in 14 days' judicial custody. We hope to complete the investigation in a new few days," said Anand Prakash Tiwari, Senior Superintendent Police, Guwahati city.
The IIT has already suspended the Professor. Although no formal complaint was made to the internal security department of the Institute, the director held a meeting with women faculty members to address the issue.
"We came to know about the arrest from media reports," said institute's public relations officer Labanu Konwar. "We realised under what sections he has been arrested and suspended him from official responsibilities."
The woman, an assistant in Ghosal's office, has already moved out of the staff quarters, fearing social stigma.
The campus of the Guwahati IIT - one of the 16 premier engineering and management institutes across the country - wore a subdued look today.
"This is indeed very shocking for us. Our morale is very low right now. This is unbelievable," said a staff member.
"The guilty should certainly be punished and if the charges against him are proven, he would be replaced," said the PRO.