Secret filming of students at IIT-Delhi: HC informed that draft SOP on security measures concerning college festivals ready

The counsel appearing for the Delhi Police submitted before a division bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, “We have decided that, except students, no one without a ‘student id’ will be allowed in these festivals”.

In an earlier order, the HC had referred to The Indian Express report and noted that during the Rendezvous festival, organised by the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi on October 6, 2023, a group of students enrolled in DU’s Bharati College, who had been invited to participate in a fashion show event, spotted an “individual secretly filming them while they were changing costumes in a washroom” and upon reviewing the CCTV footage, the “individual was identified to be a part of IIT-D’s housekeeping staff”.

During the hearing on Monday, the police’s counsel submitted that in the case at hand a male staff was cleaning the ladies toilet. She submitted that as per the draft SOP, women staff would be assigned to clean ladies toilets and women security guards would be deployed.

She further submitted that as per the SOP, the Station House Officer of the local police station will be informed 15 days before the festival is to take place.

“Within the college premises… the local police will be responsible for the security in the peripheral area…” the police’s counsel said.

The bench further orally said that if the SOP has been framed in “joint consultation” with all the stakeholders, it shall “close the matter”.

“We want to conclude this matter,” the bench said.

The bench, thereafter, granted time to the counsel appearing for Delhi University and IIT, Delhi to obtain instructions in the matter and listed it for hearing on April 22.

In its order dated October 9, 2023, the HC had said that the news report highlighted the lapses in security measures employed for annual college festivals, resulting in injuries, violations, and trauma for students attending such festivals.