MNNIT committee finds harassment charges by MTech student 'baseless, fabricated'

PRAYAGRAJ: A three-member fact-finding committee at Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT) here has concluded that the allegations of harassment made by an MTech first-year student against the head of the Electronics and Communication Engineering department are "fabricated and baseless".

In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, MNNIT Registrar Professor Ramesh Pandey said the committee was constituted to probe the allegations made via email by Kuldeep Srivastava, which included charges of mental harassment, threats, and other objectionable behaviour.

"After examining all relevant parties and available evidence, the committee found that the accusations made by the student were false and concocted," Pandey said. He added that Srivastava had been experiencing depression in recent days and had returned home with his guardian.

MNNIT: Student alleged harassment

The student had earlier posted on X, claiming that on the morning of June 24, 2025, he was called to the department where his bag was allegedly searched without his consent. He further alleged that he was strip-searched on suspicion of carrying a recording device, verbally abused, and that the department head pointed a revolver at him and even fired a shot when he attempted to flee.

Srivastava also claimed that a day prior to the alleged incident, on June 23, he was pressured to withdraw a Right to Information (RTI) application. The institute has refuted all these allegations following the findings of the internal inquiry committee.