HATHRAS: Police have arrested the chief proctor of a college in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras on charges of sexually exploiting students, officials said here Thursday.
Chief Proctor of Bagla Degree College, Rajneesh Kumar, was apprehended late on Wednesday night in Prayagraj where he had gone to seek anticipatory bail, the officials said.
The police said they have also recovered a mobile phone and a laptop from Kumar, who was a professor in the Geography Department of the Bagla Degree College and rose to become the Chief Proctor.
Following his arrest, Superintendent of Police (SP) Chiranjeev Nath Sinha told reporters that the police received an anonymous letter alleging sexual misconduct by Kumar.
The SP said the complaint was investigated and on March 13, a case was registered against Kumar at the Hathras Gate police station under relevant sections of the law.
He was arrested from Subhash Chowk in the Civil Lines area of Prayagraj, he said.
The SP said, "Kumar had installed a special software on his phone and laptop, which kept the front screen off while recording videos in the background. He allegedly used this method to blackmail students.
"The investigation found that he first sexually exploited a fourth-class female staff member in 2019, followed by seven to eight female students, using the recorded videos to intimidate and coerce them," the SP said.
The officer said Kumar lured students by promising higher marks, academic promotions and job placements.
"He often gifted them expensive items and money to gain their trust.
Once he developed a close rapport, he sexually exploited them in his office chamber and secretly recorded their intimate moments using his software.
"Victims remained unaware of the recordings until they were later used for blackmail.
Even after the students graduated, he allegedly continued to threaten and exploit them," Sinha added.
According to the police, Kumar joined Bagla College as a lecturer in 2001 and became the Head of the Geography Department in 2016.
In July 2024, he was appointed as the college's Chief Proctor.
His marriage in 1996 was reportedly troubled and he had no children.
He allegedly attempted to remarry and once engaged in a physical relationship with a woman who visited his home.
That incident was accidentally recorded on his computer's webcam, giving him the idea to systematically exploit students by secretly recording intimate moments, the police said.
The court will soon be presented with the case as the police continue their investigation into his actions and digital records, the officials added.