Agartala, June 23: Tripura University has suspended an Assistant Professor following allegations of sexual harassment, pending a thorough inquiry. The central university made this decision in response to student protests demanding the arrest and dismissal of the accused professor, Bhupesh Debbarma.
Professor Debbarma has denied the charges brought against him by the victim.
The police had previously issued a notice to Debbarma, a faculty member in the Department of Philosophy, asking him to appear in person and provide a statement regarding a case registered under IPC sections 354A and 509.
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The alleged incident took place on June 19 during a viva voce examination conducted by the Assistant Professor. The student claimed that Debbarma broached “inappropriate, obscene, and highly personal topics” during the session.
Later, the student reached out to her friends to share her ordeal and expressed her mental distress and physical sickness. She was subsequently taken to the Tripura Medical College and Hospital, where she received care for a day.
Ganga Prasad Prasain, Vice-Chancellor of Tripura University, chaired the meeting of the probe committee responsible for investigating the sexual harassment allegation. He informed the media about the decision to suspend the Assistant Professor, stating that Debbarma will be required to cooperate with the internal investigation by being present on campus when called upon.
