JABALPUR – Police arrested two university staff members following the alleged rape of a 22-year-old woman on the Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University campus. The incident, reported to police on Saturday , involved a false promise of employment at the state government-run institution.
Arrests and Charges
Authorities apprehended Durga Shankar Singerha , 58, an upper division clerk (UDC), and Mukesh Sen , a peon, on Thursday . Both are employed at the Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur city. The arrests occurred within hours of the woman filing her complaint.
Additional Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar confirmed the arrests. Both accused were produced before a court on Friday and have since been remanded in judicial custody. The police investigation into the alleged assault is ongoing.
The Job Offer Deception
Approximately 20 days prior , the survivor, a resident of the Tilwara area, found social media information about contractual job vacancies at the university. She located a telephone number for the vice-chancellor’s office. Singerha received her call.
Singerha allegedly informed her about vacancies and instructed her to visit the university with official documents. The woman arrived the next day and met Singerha. He reportedly assured her he could secure her a job after speaking with the vice-chancellor and advised her to stay in touch.
Police stated Singerha continued to meet the woman multiple times across the city. He consistently assured her that the job application process was progressing and an interview would be scheduled soon.
The Campus Incident
The accused, Singerha, allegedly called the woman to the university campus on Thursday afternoon . He claimed an interview was imminent and instructed her to come for a final job-related meeting. Upon arrival, Singerha asked the survivor to go to Mukesh Sen’s residence, located on the university campus grounds.
Inside the residence, after a brief conversation, the accused peon, Sen, reportedly left the room and bolted the door from the outside. The woman, in her official complaint, alleged Singerha then raped her despite her protests, according to police officials.
Following the alleged assault, both Singerha and Sen dropped the woman outside the university campus gates. They reportedly threatened her with defamation if she disclosed the incident. They also promised she would secure the job if she remained silent.
Complaint and Legal Proceedings
The woman subsequently informed her family and lodged a formal complaint at the Adhartal police station. Based on her detailed complaint, police acted swiftly, apprehending both accused individuals from their homes within hours of the report.
The prompt police action led to the accused appearing before a court on Friday . They were subsequently placed in judicial custody, pending further investigation and legal proceedings. This case highlights serious concerns regarding campus security and misuse of authority.