Patna, March 30: A girl student of the Indian Institute of Technology, Patna, has accused an employee engaged in ensuring security on campus of having misbehaved with her.

Following a formal complaint filed by the girl, the IIT administration has lodged an FIR against its assistant security officer.

The officer, however, has not been arrested yet though the FIR was lodged on March 26. The officer, who hails from Jamshedpur in Jharkhand, has in the meantime proceeded on medical leave.

The Telegraph is withholding the name of the officer as investigations are still on.

The girl student is pursuing a PhD from the institution. She lives in one of the IIT hostels at Patliputra Colony.

IIT registrar Subhash Pandey said: "Based on the written complaint lodged by the girl and on the instructions of IIT Kharagpur director Partha Pratim Chakrabarti, who holds additional charge of IIT Patna, an FIR was lodged against the security officer."

Sources at IIT-Patna said the girl, in her complaint, had said that the security officer, on the pretext of some work, often visited Sridev Apartment - the girls' hostel - at Patliputra Colony to meet her. The girl also stated that last week, the officer made an attempt to board the same vehicle in which she was returning from the institute to her hostel.

The hostel is around one km away from the building where IIT classes are conducted at present.

The source also said that after receiving the complaint from the girl, the IIT-Patna administration informed director Chakrabarti and after receiving instructions, lodged the FIR at Patliputra police station.

According to rules, the security officer, who is a permanent employee of the institution, may face disciplinary action in addition to the legal battle he would have to go through in the wake of the police complaint lodged against him.

"The disciplinary action also amounts to removing him from duty among others," said a source at IIT Patna. The work of security officers entails coordinating with the institution and hostels.

Patna senior superintendent of police Jitender Rana said: "Police are on the job. ASP (law and order) Mamta Kalyani has been asked to oversee the investigations and file a detailed report. Based on her report, the police will take further steps and action. I will look into the case personally. An FIR has been lodged under Section 354 of the IPC," he told The Telegraph. Section 354 of the IPC pertains to assault and use of criminal force against a woman with the motive to outrage her modesty. If found guilty, an accused can face maximum punishment of two years in jail and a fine.

R.K. Dubey, the station house officer of Patliputra police station, said: "The case is being investigated. The investigating officer of the case is on the job and the victim has been questioned too."

IIT-Patna, one of the new IITs established by an Act of Parliament in August 2008, is running from a transit campus in Patliputra Colony. The institution's permanent campus is being constructed at Bihta, around 40km southwest of Patna. Apart from offering BTech courses in five streams - computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, civil and environmental engineering, chemical and biochemical enginee-ring - the engineering cradle also offers PhD programmes in 10 streams.

A student of IIT-Patna welcomed the firm action taken by the institution. "Strict action against the IIT employee would instil a sense of confidence among the girl students studying here."