Teacher arrested for 'molesting' student on Teacher's Day

CHANDIGARH: A senior teacher of Panjab University was arrested on Tuesday - when the nation celebrated the Teacher's Day - following charges of molesting a teenaged girl student at his home, police said on Wednesday.

N K Sehgal, a professor with the evening studies department who is also the head of the department, was arrested late Tuesday evening following a complaint filed by the girl, a student of Class 11 who was taking tuitions from him.

The complainant said that the professor called her to his residence in Sector 15 here Tuesday evening "for discussing a commerce paper".

As her father waited outside, the professor, who was alone in his house, allegedly tried to molest her. The girl rushed out of his house but did not tell her father anything about the alleged incident.

On finding her unusually quiet later, her father suspected that something was wrong and asked her. She told him what happened at the teacher's residence. They later filed a complaint with the Sector 11 police station.

The professor, charged with outraging the modesty of a woman, was arrested from his house but was released on bail.

Sehgal told police and media that he was innocent.

"She is like my daughter. There has been a misunderstanding or someone is trying to frame me," said Sehgal, father of three daughters.