Women's college secretary in Andhra Pradesh arrested for asking sexual favours from student

Machilipatnam: A senior office-bearer of the Grace Nursing College for Women here was arrested on Saturday evening for allegedly seeking sexual favours from a 22-year-old student, police said.

S Ramesh (42), the Secretary and Correspondent of the college, was arrested a day after the woman filed a police complaint alleging that he has been harassing her and seeking sexual favours, police said.

Ramesh has been arrested under The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 (Nirbhaya Act) and other sections of the Indian Penal Code including those related to outraging the modesty of a woman, sexual harassment, criminal intimidation, Additional Superintendent of Police M. Sattibabu said.

The accused has also been booked under The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, he said.

In July, the accused had allegedly attempted to sexually assault the victim in his chamber reportedly after she refused to entertain his request for the sexual favours, he said.

Later, she had left the college hostel, the additional SP said. The accused was produced before a local court on Saturday which remanded him to custody.

The police are investigating the case.

Meanwhile, V Padma, the Chairperson of the Andhra Pradesh Women Commission, inspected the college during the day and interacted with the students.