Nagpur college teacher accused of sending obscene, religiously objectionable messages to students

A row has broken out at a well-known college in Nagpur's Wathoda area, where a male teacher is accused of sending obscene messages to female students. The messages are also alleged to contain objectionable remarks about religion. None of these allegations has been proved or independently verified.

The matter came to light when the family of one student reportedly saw the messages on her mobile phone. The family was angered by what it saw and went straight to the college to confront the teacher.

A confrontation followed on the college premises, and it is said to have turned into a scuffle. Some accounts claim the teacher was assaulted during the incident. No official information is available yet on how the assault happened or who was involved.

The student's father has confirmed the episode. He says he went to the college after seeing the alleged messages on his daughter's phone, got into an argument with the teacher there, and that it escalated into a physical altercation. He says he has also made a written complaint to the college administration.

The father says the administration got in touch with him after the incident. It told him an inquiry was under way within the college and asked him not to make the matter public until it was complete. This account rests solely on the father's statement at present.

The father says he wants a fair inquiry and appropriate action if the allegations turn out to be true. He has warned that if the action taken is not satisfactory, he will call a press conference against the teacher and the college administration and place the entire matter before the public. He maintains that the truth must come out in a case involving female students.

Some students are being cited as saying the teacher's messages made other girls uncomfortable too, and that a few did not speak up out of fear or hesitation. These claims are unconfirmed, and it is not known whether any other student has lodged a formal complaint. There is also local talk that the teacher has been involved in controversies earlier, but no verified document, official complaint or confirmation from the institution backs this up.

It is not clear whether a formal complaint has been registered with the police. No information has emerged about a police complaint either over the alleged messages or over the scuffle.

An attempt was made to reach the college director, but no response could be obtained. The teacher's side has not emerged either. The lack of a reply from the director cannot be read as an admission, and the institution must be given full opportunity to present its position. A fuller picture is expected once the college and the teacher respond.

The dispute concerns alleged personal conduct and messages sent to female students, and it would be wrong to link any religion or community to it. The content of the messages, the full chat and screenshots, statements from the students concerned, and the college's own records are likely to be important in establishing the facts. All eyes are now on the steps the college administration takes.