2 days before IIT-BHU molestation: Another student, similar ordeal

In connection with the incident on Wednesday that triggered widespread protests from the student community, the woman student had said that “three unidentified men kissed her forcibly, took her clothes off and recorded photos and videos”. She had also said that she was with a male friend at the time, before she was forcibly taken away by the accused. In Monday’s case, too, the woman was with a male friend, who was allegedly assaulted.

Speaking to The Indian Express on Friday, Students’ Parliament vice-president Pranav Kishore alleged, “Two days before the incident on Wednesday night, at 1.30 am at the same spot… the incident involved four people, who came in two vehicles. They beat up a male student and groped a female student from the rear… The woman didn’t want to escalate matters as her parents would have raised questions. The male student who was beaten up, along with members of the Students’ Parliament, lodged a written complaint with the Proctor’s office on Tuesday.”

Varanasi Police Commissioner Mutha Ashok Jain said he has no knowledge of the previous incident. “I was at IIT-BHU yesterday evening and held meetings with the authorities. They didn’t tell me about this. I will have to ask. We will find out about it,” he said.

Varanasi Assistant Commissioner of Police (Bhelupur) Praveen Kumar Singh said, “We have gotten in touch with the Proctor’s office regarding the earlier incident. They hadn’t told us about it. We are looking into it and will take suitable action.”

Asked about the investigation into Wednesday’s incident, the ACP said, “We are moving ahead with the help of CCTV footage. We have questioned multiple people and three teams are working to trace the accused with help from electronic and manual surveillance. We should be able to arrest the accused very soon.”

A woman member of the Students’ Parliament, on condition of anonymity, said, “The earlier incident followed the same pattern. Some men in vehicles targeted a boy and a girl around 1 am at an isolated spot. A particular area here has become a picnic spot, where men come in black windowed SUVs, drink and misbehave with female students.”
Another woman student said: “We see these cars every day. They tease girls, misbehave, and leave. Every time such an incident happens, security is tightened but things then go back to the way they were.”

Asked about Monday’s incident, IIT-BHU Deen (Research and Development) Vikas Kumar Dubey said, “See, it is difficult to say whether it was the same four people. But there is information of a small incident happening from the Proctor’s office. Action was being taken in the matter. Work is already being done in coordination with the district administration. Officials of the district administration are already working to improve security arrangements at the campus. Our director is also working on issues regarding any shortcomings in the security of students.”

“I can say that whatever the exact complaint was, the local police station was informed. I don’t think it is right to narrate that incident… Our student had to face misbehaviour. What exactly happened is under investigation. The police will take action… Once the accused are arrested, things will become clear. Giving details of it right now may affect the investigation,” he said.

Following widespread protests by students on Thursday, the IIT-BHU administration had issued a notice stating that “all barricades in the institute shall henceforth be closed from 10 pm to 5 am”.

In a statement on Friday, the institute said, “Institute security personnel and police personnel will be deployed at important barrier points/entry points, main intersections and intersections of the institute, who will assist the security personnel of the existing Proctorial Board.”

“Within three days, the Internal Complaints Committee of the institute will be reconstituted and students will also be made members,” it said. “A police pink booth is being set up on the campus. A place has been identified, where women police personnel will be present.”