A 19-year-old college student in Dharamshala died after allegedly facing ragging, physical assault, intimidation and sexual harassment on her college campus. Police have booked a professor and three female students in connection with the case.
An FIR has been registered under Sections 75, 115(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 3 of the Himachal Pradesh Educational Institutions (Prohibition of Ragging) Act, 2009. The accused include a professor of the college and three students. The alleged incidents reportedly took place in September 2025.
According to the complaint filed by the victim’s father, his daughter was physically assaulted and intimidated by the three students, while the professor allegedly subjected her to obscene acts. He stated that the continuous harassment left his daughter extremely frightened and mentally disturbed, causing a serious deterioration in her health.
The student was initially treated in hospitals in Himachal Pradesh. She was later referred to a hospital in Ludhiana, where she died during treatment on December 26, 2025. Father said the delay in approaching the police was due to his daughter’s prolonged critical illness and the family being in deep shock after her death.
Police officials said a case was registered after examining the complaint and conducting a preliminary inquiry. The investigation will focus on allegations of ragging, physical assault, intimidation and sexual misconduct, as well as the sequence of events that allegedly led to the student’s declining health and death.
Meanwhile, the college administration presented a different version of events. Officials stated that the student had taken admission to the college last year but had failed her examinations. She was reportedly seeking admission to the second year, which was not permissible under university rules for students who fail. According to the administration, the student was under depression due to her academic situation.
The college also claimed that it had not received any written or verbal complaint from the student or her family regarding ragging or harassment. Teachers alleged that the student’s family had threatened them, following which a verbal complaint was made by the staff.
Senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur condemned the incident, calling it “shameful” and demanding a high-level and impartial inquiry to ensure justice for the victim.
