With revelation after revelation, wave of sex scandals rocks the Assam University again and again. This time round the HoD In-charge of Arabic Department Nazmul Islam Barbhuiya aged 46 years could not have a pleasant sleep Friday night when police personnel entered his house and picked him up at 3 am in the wee hours of Saturday.
The prestigious seat of learning in South Assam is now grappling to protect its girl students from some of its professors who have turned out to be predators.
An FIR lodged by Naznin (name changed) against Nazmul on August 31 at Assam University Police Patrol post set the ball rolling. Superintendent of Police of Cachar district, Rakesh Roshan, after preliminary investigations ordered to arrest the accused professor.
The girl who lodged this FIR informed that Nazmul had his eyes upon her right from the beginning of her joining in first semester. She alleged that, he failed her in some of her papers in the first semester itself and started wooing her to give in to his demands.
This went on until one molestation case of May 2 this year led her to file an FIR against Nazmul Islam Barbhuiya on August 31, a point which is hard to believe says A K Azad Laskar, advocate of Nazmul Islam Barbhuiya.
Speaking to Northeast Now, Advocate Azad said, “A molestation that happened if any on May 2 last and a case for it to be registered after four months itself shows that the whole story is fabricated.”
While being taken to court from Silchar’s Sadar Thana, Nazmul Islam Barbhuiya reiterated that it is a sheer conspiracy and jealousy of some within the department that led to this girl filing an FIR.
SP Cachar while speaking to Northeast Now said, “We understand the gravity of the matter and once the FIR was filed we have done a preliminary investigation to get Nazmul arrested. Such crimes inside an educational institution, the centre of learning, cannot be compromised.”
Milan Das, President of Assam University Student Union (AUSU) informed Northeast Now that they have received a complaint letter from Naznin (Name changed) and have forwarded it to Vice Chancellor for necessary action, but would speak on this matter only after they themselves complete their own internal investigation.
Barely one and half month back, the university witnessed a tumultuous scene following allegation of sexual advances against Dr Sudipto Sarkar of the department of agriculture engineering. Sudipto Sarkar, HoD of the department had to be suspended for sexual harassment of a final year M Tech student of his own department.
Questions are now swirling about the role of the higher ups of the university to cover the accused professors.