A girl student who had already passed out from the department of education of the Gour Banga University (GBU) in Malda has lodged a police complaint against Bapi Mishra, a former head of the department, accusing him of harassing her mentally because of her political identity.

Nabanita Das, a resident of Malda town and a former leader of the GBU unit of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP), recently filed a complaint in this regard at the Englishbazar police station and reportedly registered her grievances with the chief minister's office and the state higher education department.

The matter was also brought to the notice of the GBU administration. Mishra, however, denied the accusation against him and termed it a "fabricated one".

The complainant claimed that since she was an active TMCP worker during her postgraduate studies in the GBU, Mishra had "threatened her in different ways".

She claimed that the professor actually harassed her because of her political affiliation. “I could not protest then out of the fear that my result might be affected by the professor concerned," the postgraduate complainant told the media.

It has been learnt from the sources in the state higher education department that the varsity authorities were asked to look into the matter.

Mishra, when contacted, said the allegation against him was baseless.

“There might be some provocation against such a complaint, which is completely baseless and lodged to malign me deliberately,” Mishra, a district committee member of the BJP’s Malda south (organisational) district, said.

Ujjwal Haldar, the present head of the department of education at the GBU, was brief in his reaction.

“I have heard about the matter, but we have not received any paper in this regard so far. Therefore, I would not comment on it.”

Ashis Bhattacharjee, the vice-chancellor, did not take a call. He, however, later posted a text message mentioning that he is out of the station and “busy with certain works”.

The police, sources said, have initiated a probe. “We are looking into the case and will speak to all concerned persons,” said a senior police officer.