A senior academic at the University of Kashmir has been arrested and suspended over allegations of rape, cheating, and financial exploitation of a Hindu woman, exposing a multi‑year relationship framed around the false promise of marriage and the alleged misuse of over ₹48 lakh, according to multiple media reports and police sources. The accused, Sajjad Mohammad Khan, 52, has been identified as a Scientist‑C in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Kashmir, and is currently in custody as the case is investigated under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Identity of the Accused and Official Action

Sajjad Mohammad Khan, a permanent resident of Soura in Srinagar, has been holding the post of Scientist‑C in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Kashmir. Following his arrest in connection with FIR No. 11/2026 registered at the Women’s Police Station, Rambagh, Srinagar, the university administration issued an official order placing him under suspension with immediate effect, invoking Rule 31 of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1956. The university order notes that the action is “in view of his detention in custody,” and the suspension is being treated as a formal administrative safeguard pending outcome of the criminal proceedings.

Nature of the Allegations

The complainant, a 28‑year‑old Hindu woman, has alleged that she first came into contact with Khan in 2018 through a mutual acquaintance and later developed an intimate relationship with him after he promised marriage. She states that Khan repeatedly engaged in physical relations with her on the pretext of marriage, leading to multiple pregnancies, and that he then pressured her to undergo abortions while postponing any formal commitment. In addition to the sexual exploitation, the woman has accused Khan of systematic financial fraud, including extorting large sums of money and coercing her into selling property and jewellery.

Financial Exploitation and Extortion

According to the complaint, Khan induced the woman to sell her land in Kanihama, Budgam, and to part with her gold jewellery, taking cash from her on multiple occasions. She also alleges that Khan took out a gold‑loan of around ₹25 lakh from a UCO Bank branch in Srinagar in her name, and that the funds were used for his personal purposes, including the construction of his house and the maintenance of what police sources describe as a “lavish lifestyle.” The complainant has claimed that, in total, she handed over more than ₹48 lakh to Khan over the years, ostensibly for the medical treatment of his seriously ill son and for other household and social‑event‑related expenses.

At one stage, after the alleged abuse continued and the woman sought to exit the relationship, the accused reportedly made an attempt at an out‑of‑court settlement by paying ₹8 lakh to her, a move that witness‑accounts and media reports describe as an effort to stifle her complaint. However, these attempts did not prevent her from later approaching the Women’s Police Station at Rambagh, where the case was formally registered.

Police Complaint, Arrest and Legal Provisions

The case was formally registered at the Women’s Police Station, Rambagh, Srinagar, under FIR No. 11 dated 20 April 2026, and the complainant has accused Khan of rape, cheating, criminal intimidation and other offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police officials have stated that Khan was arrested after the FIR was lodged and that the investigation is ongoing to establish the full extent of the alleged offences, including the legal validity of the financial transactions and the medical‑loan records.

Senior police sources have told media outlets that the department has also begun probing how Khan managed his son’s medical treatment over the past two years, including reports that he had borrowed money from other university staff, though officials emphasised that such financial arrangements do not in any way dilute the seriousness of the sexual‑offence and fraud charges.

University’s Institutional Response

The University of Kashmir has moved swiftly to distance itself from the accused, with the teaching‑section administration issuing a formal suspension order that explicitly references his arrest in connection with the rape‑related FIR. The order states that Sajjad Mohammad Khan is placed under suspension “with immediate effect” under Rule 31 of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1956, which allows for suspension of government employees when they are detained in connection with a criminal case.

The university has not issued a detailed public statement on the broader implications for campus safety or internal grievance mechanisms, but the case has sparked internal discussion among students and junior colleagues about approval processes, handling of informal faculty‑student relationships, and the need for stricter ethical‑conduct protocols in academic departments.

Community and Social Reactions

The case has drawn sharp reactions from civil‑society groups, women’s rights activists, and sections of the Hindu community in Jammu and Kashmir, who have highlighted the vulnerability of Hindu‑community women in asymmetric power relationships with Muslim university employees. Some activists have pointedly noted that the woman initially tried to lodge an FIR at Rajbagh police station but was not given immediate recourse, forcing her to approach the Women’s Police Station instead; this has reignited debate about responsiveness of local police stations to Hindu/female complaints in the region.

Ongoing Investigation and Legal Outlook

As of late April 2026, the investigation into the rape and fraud case remains ongoing, with police officials indicating that they are collecting mobile‑phone records, medical‑history documents, bank‑loan papers from UCO Bank, and property‑transfer details related to the sale of the woman’s land in Kanihama. The age gap between the accused (52) and the complainant (28), the long‑term nature of the alleged exploitation, and the substantial financial dimension of the case are expected to be central points during the trial, once the case moves to the judicial stage.

The University of Kashmir has not yet announced whether it will initiate an internal departmental inquiry or disciplinary proceedings beyond the current suspension, but such steps are standard practice under state‑level civil‑services rules when a government employee faces serious criminal charges. For now, the case stands as a high‑profile example of how sexual‑exploitation and financial fraud can intersect in institutional settings especially when Hindus are in minority.