Periyar University registrar arrested for sexual assault on research student

SALEM: The Registrar (in-charge) of Periyar University was on Monday arrested for alleged sexual assault on a research student, police said. The Registrar (In-charge) D Gopi was arrested following a complaint by a girl student from Siddarkoil and remanded to custody, police added.

The girl student from Siddarkoil had registered as a research student in the department of chemistry under professor Gopi, who had taken charge as the Registrar in May.

The accused reportedly called the student to his room on Sunday to explain some research subjects and she went there along with some of her relatives. As the relatives waited outside the room, the student came out rushing and told the relatives that Gopi made sexual advances. The girl's relatives allegedly assaulted the professor, who got admitted to a private hospital after sustaining injuries.

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The girl student lodged a complaint with the Karuppur police against the Registrar, who also lodged a complaint of assault by her relatives. Based on the student's complaint, Gopi was arrested.