Mithibai professor molests female, arrested after 12 years

Rajpal Hande, the accused

Twelve years after a female professor of a city-based college filed a molestation complaint against the principal, who is now the head of Mithibai College, the Tilak Nagar police arrested him on January 17. According to the police, the accused had moved the court for anticipatory bail but the court asked him to surrender before the police and instructed the cops to arrest him and then release him on a personal bail bond of Rs 15,000.

According to the complainant, the police took 11 years to file an FIR as she had first filed a complaint in the matter in 2007. After she wrote a letter to the prime minister, the cops registered an FIR in 2018.

Thereafter, in March 2019 the complainant wrote to the State Human Rights Commission, after which the Tilak Nagar police arrested accused Rajpal Hande last week on charges under Sections 354, 354A, 507 and 509 of IPC. Investigation officer from Tilak Nagar, Sarita Chavan, confirmed his arrest.

Chavan told mid-day, "Principal Hande has been arrested and he has been given bail. We will soon file a charge sheet in the matter."

According to the complainant, once when she had gone to Hande's office for some work, he showed her a tape recording, which had erotic images of Khajurao. Another day he had allegedly touched her shoulder from behind and when she resisted, Hande told her, "I am treating you like my girlfriend."

The complainant had lost her job after she complained to the college authorities and State Commission for Women. The college dismissed her on charges of defaming the principal and the institute.

Speaking to mid-day, the complainant said, "I had complained to several senior police officers and the State Commission for Women but no one helped me. Then I wrote a letter to the Prime Minister's Office on September 23, 2017. After the PMO office instructed the local authority to look into it, the Tilak Nagar police lodged an FIR on December 3, 2018."

When mid-day contacted Hande, he responded through a message saying, "This is a false and frivolous case done to tarnish my image. Your information is wrong, as nothing of this sort has happened. I have taken the matter to the appropriate forum. The court has granted anticipatory bail. Since the matter is subjudice, I don't have anything else to say."

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