Man arrested for sending lewd SMS to DU prof denied bail

A man arrested by the police for sending lewd messages to a Delhi University professor has been denied bail by a court here.
The court said in the light of President's ordinance amending the criminal law to make it stricter to deal with offences against women, the matter did not warrant bail.
Metropolitan Magistrate Ekta Gauba denied bail to Suman Raj, who was working as an attendant at Kalindi college here.
Raj was arrested on March 11 on the complaint of a lady professor of the same college. The complainant had told police that Raj was sending her vulgar and obscene SMSes.

He has been booked under section 354D IPC, which has been added to the Indian Penal Code by President's ordinance in February and deals with offence of stalking.
The lady alleged the accused had been sending him indecent messages compelling and even threatening her to "establish personal relationship with him". In order to avoid advances from him, she changed her mobile number but Raj managed to get her new mobile number and again started sending her such messages.
"As per the SMSes sent by the accused, it is clear that he has tried to compel the complainant in his message to foster personal relationship with him and also causing fear of violence or alarm to the complainant," the court said.

"Considering the reason behind issuance of the Ordinance by the President of India, as well as the fact that in the present case there is also allegation of sexual harassment of women at workplace as the complainant was working in the same college as the accused but at a very senior post, the allegations are serious in nature," the court said.