Shimla, April 16 (IANS) The Himachal Pradesh Education Department has dismissed three Assistant Professors from service after a departmental inquiry found them guilty of sexually harassing female students, officials confirmed on Thursday.

The dismissed teachers are Virender Sharma (Assistant Professor, Mathematics), Anil Kumar (Assistant Professor, Chemistry, Siddharth Government College, Hamirpur), and Pawan Kumar (Professor of Dance – Kathak, Jawaharlal Nehru Government College of Fine Arts, Shimla).

The dismissal order, issued on April 16 by Education Secretary Rakesh Kanwar, stated that the charges of “grave moral turpitude and gross misconduct” against the accused had been substantiated. The order emphasised that the teacher-student relationship is built on mutual trust, dignity, and a safe academic environment. Acts of such nature, it noted, undermine this foundation, compromise institutional discipline, and erode public trust in the education system.

According to the department, the explanations submitted by the accused failed to refute the evidence presented against them and did not mitigate the seriousness of the misconduct established during the inquiry.

The investigation revealed that Virender Sharma, who was posted at Rajiv Gandhi Government Degree College, Chaura Maidan at the time, behaved inappropriately with a second-year B.Sc. student on December 1, 2021. He allegedly attempted to establish personal contact with the student and summoned her to his residence, where he tried to force himself on her. The student resisted and managed to escape safely.

Anil Kumar, who was posted at Siddharth Government College, Nadaun, was found guilty of molestation and sexual harassment of a first-year B.Sc. student during a Chemistry practical class on November 14, 2024. The inquiry further revealed that he repeatedly touched the student inappropriately and later absconded in an attempt to evade the investigation.

In the third case, Pawan Kumar was found to have misused his official position by summoning female students to his residence late at night for dance practice, compelling some to stay overnight. On January 22, 2024, he allegedly attempted to molest a female student and subsequently tried to cover up the incident. The investigation also found that his wife attempted to pressure the complainant’s family.

Additionally, other allegations against him, including taking students to the Governor’s House without permission, acting arbitrarily in grading, and failing to maintain proper attendance records, were also proven.

Officials confirmed that all three teachers have been dismissed from service with immediate effect.

–IANS

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