The incident took place late Wednesday night, and on Thursday morning, hundreds of students gathered in protest at the institute director’s office demanding better security on campus.
A protest broke out at the Indian Institute of Technology – BHU in Varanasi on Thursday morning after a student complained that she was molested on campus by three unidentified men on a motorcycle who ambushed her. The student alleged the men forcibly kissed her and recorded a video of her after taking her clothes off.
The incident took place late Wednesday night, and on Thursday morning, hundreds of students gathered in protest at the institute director’s office demanding better security on campus.
A case has been lodged at Lanka police station against unidentified men under IPC sections 354-B (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 506 (criminal intimidation) and under the IT Act.
The student, in her police complaint, stated: “I am a resident of a hostel at IIT-BHU. On November 2, around 1.30 am, I left my hostel for a walk. I met a male friend… We were walking together when… a motorcycle with three men approached us from behind. They parked their motorcycle there and separated my friend and me. They shut my mouth tightly and took me to a corner, kissed me forcibly, took off my clothes and recorded photos and videos. When I shouted for help, they threatened to kill me. They let me go after 10-15 minutes. When I ran towards my hostel, I heard the sound of the motorcycle. Then, I hid at the residence of a professor, who took me to the security officials.”
#IIT-BHU student alleges #molestation on campus, thousands stage #protest
Read: https://t.co/brQyJJtFMA
Watch video: pic.twitter.com/2OrPO8nYMV
— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) November 2, 2023
In a statement, IIT BHU Students’ Parliament said that in light of these recent events, they are “launching an institute-wide protest”. “We are boycotting all academic activities and holding a sit-in protest at DG Corner and the Director’s Office from 10 am on November 2,” they said.
“This is a heinous crime that has shaken the very fiber of our institution. It is not the first time such an incident has occurred on campus. Students have repeatedly raised concerns about security on campus, but the administration has failed to take adequate action,” they said.
The student body has demanded “night barricading to restrict entry of outsider vehicles inside the campus with a single point entry/exit, centralised CCTV system, and legal action on violent offenders”.
A varsity official told The Indian Express that at least 2,000 students were sitting in protest at the institute since Thursday morning. “The students are demanding better security arrangements, and that a system be put in place where no one can enter the campus without an ID card of the institute. Senior officials of the institute are holding talks with them and we are looking into their demands,” said the official.
Soon after the protest, the IIT-BHU administration issued a notice: “All barricades in the institute shall henceforth be closed from 10 pm to 5 am… The guard at post may allow vehicles having BHU stickers/IIT(BHU) ID cards.”
The BHU wing of the student outfits ABVP, NSUI and AISA issued statements condemning the incident.
Source: Indianexpress
