In Hathras, Uttar Pradesh police has been on the hunt to catch the predator, Rajnish Kumar, the professor of Seth Phool Chand PG College has been accused of sexually assaulting female students for over two decades.
Kumar has been exploiting his position and coerce his female students into sexual acts in exchange of favourable grades and job opportunities. He also secretly films the heinous acts and later blackmail the students.
Although, the allegations came to light almost 10 months ago, when a female student wrote a anonymous letter to the local authorities, detailing the predator behaviour of Kumar. The student claimed that, despite reaching out to various authorities for help, no one responded. “I have not used my real name because then this ruthless professor will kill me,” NDTV reported.
Along with the anonymous letter, there was also a pen drive consisting of 59 videos of Kumar engaging in sexual acts with his students. For the safety of students, their identity is blurred in the original footage. These videos were recorded by the predator himself secretly to blackmail the victims later.
Although, the crime came out 10 months ago but the FIR was filed recently on March 13, 2025, an FIR was registered against Kumar under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), with charges including rape (Section 64(2)), sexual intercourse by a person in authority (Section 68), and assault or criminal force to outrage a woman’s modesty (Section 75). Authorities allege that Kumar, who also headed the college’s geography department, exploited his position to coerce students into sexual acts, promising better grades or job opportunities in return. Reports further claim he recorded these encounters, using the footage to blackmail victims into silence. Some of the videos are believed to have been uploaded to pornographic websites, intensifying the severity of the accusations.
However, none of the victims have come forward to provide formal statements due to fear of stigma and retaliation. Police have expressed concerns about this lack of cooperation.
As of March 19, 2025, Kumar remains on the run, with three police teams actively pursuing his arrest. The college administration has suspended him in response to the FIR, but public outrage continues to mount, with many criticizing the institution for allegedly ignoring earlier complaints about the professor’s misconduct.
In response to the uproar, Hathras District Magistrate Archana Verma has constituted a four-member investigation committee, headed by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Sadar, to thoroughly probe the allegations. The case has sparked widespread condemnation and raised urgent questions about student safety and accountability within educational institutions.
Local authorities have urged anyone with additional information to come forward as the investigation unfolds. Meanwhile, the hunt for Rajneesh Kumar intensifies, with the community demanding justice for the affected students.
