Vadodara varsity staffer held for stalking, intimidating student

Vadodara: An associate professor of a university in Gujarat's Vadodara has been arrested for allegedly stalking and intimidating a female student, police said on Sunday.

Mohammed Azhar Dheriwala, an associate professor of Hindi at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (MSU), allegedly harassed the student and threatened to end her career, an official from Sayajigunj police station said.

Dheriwala, who has been associated with MSU for 23 years, was arrested on Saturday night.

Police inspector Z N Dhasura said the accused was earlier suspended based on the recommendation of the University's internal complaints committee (ICC) of the women's grievance redressal cell (WGRC) after another student accused him of sexual harassment.

The complainant, a second-year Master of Arts student, has alleged that Dheriwala approached her on the afternoon of January 4 and asked her to accompany him to his house.

When she refused, he allegedly threatened to end her career and even followed her to her residence, she stated in her complaint.

Dhasura said a case was registered under Sections 78 (stalking), 352 (intentionally insulting someone to provoke a breach of peace) and 351 (2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS).