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IIT-BHU Molestation Case: FIR Registered Against 3 Unidentified Bike-Borne Men, Barricades To Enhance Campus Safety
Nishtha Anushree
Nov 02, 2023, 06:43 PM | Updated 06:43 PM IST
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A female student at IIT-BHU was reportedly molested and stripped by motorcycle-borne men while walking with a male friend on the campus late Wednesday (1 November) night, Hindustan Times reported.
In response to the alleged incident, hundreds of students at IIT-BHU held a protest near Rajputana Hostel on Thursday, demanding increased security measures and a ban on outsiders entering the campus.
According to the woman's complaint, she was out with a friend on Wednesday night near the Karman Baba temple when three men on a motorcycle forcibly separated her from her friend and took her to a corner, where they gagged her.
The accused then stripped the woman, recorded a video of her, and took photos. After about 15 minutes, they released her but took her phone number, according to the complaint.
An FIR (First Information Report) has been registered against three unidentified individuals based on the victim's complaint. Local police have launched an investigation into the matter.
The incident prompted a response from the Congress party, with Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra raising concerns about the safety of students at prestigious institutions like IITs. She questioned whether it was still possible for female students to walk safely inside their own educational institutions.
Abhay Singh, the secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) unit at BHU, along with its members, joined the protest and called for the swift identification of the accused and the enforcement of strict legal action against them.
In response to the situation, the IIT-BHU administration announced a new security measure. They declared that all barricades within the campus would be closed from 10 PM to 5 AM to create a safer environment for staff and students, according to a notice issued by the Registrar.
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Nishtha Anushree is Senior Sub-editor at Swarajya. She tweets at @nishthaanushree.
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