A foreign student studying in Ahmedabad has accused the international director of a private university in Shilaj of molesting her.
City’s Bopal police lodged an FIR and arrested the 52-year-old accused identified as Mrudang Dave, a native of Vadodara.
According to the complaint, the 21-year-old student joined the university in June 2023 from some Pacific island. She alleged that Dave had been sexually harassing her and other international students since then.
“His room is located in front of mine. He would often barge into my room and make obscene gestures. He would stare at me and perform obscene acts, too,” stated the FIR. When she went to get food around 6.30pm on Sep 11, Dave approached her and inquired about her wellbeing.
“While I was responding, he came closer and molested me. I rushed back to my room, but he followed me. Dave caught me outside my room and tried to kiss me forcibly. I pushed him away, but as he fell, he continued to touch my legs inappropriately. I somehow managed to escape into my room,” the student said in her complaint.
According to the FIR, Dave met her the next day and threatened to kill her. The student informed the police that she initially kept the incident to herself, but after the accused persistently stalked her and demanded sexual favours, she confided in a friend from Vadodara.
She also accused Dave of sexually harassing another student.
Finally, on Sep 21, she, along with her friend and his fiancée, approached Bopal police and filed a complaint under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Sections 74 (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 78 (stalking), and 351 (criminal intimidation) against Dave.
Inspector BT Gohil of Bopal police said that they would also look into accusations of Dave molesting other students.
Also Read: Adani Energy, Adani Green Join Utilities For Net Zero Alliance To Aid India’s Net Zero Goal
