Swaraat / T S Venkatesan
Sexual predators are now focussing their attention on educational institutions to satiate their lust by targeting young students if the recent incidents in Anna University, Puducherry Technological University and now the IIT Madras students are any pointer.
A girl research scholar of Madras IIT was sexually harassed by a guest worker when she came out to sip a tea outside the campus on 14th evening. Due to Pongal festivals and being a holiday, the normally busy stretch was less crowd and traffic; exploiting this in his advantage, Sriram(29) of Uttar Pradesh, allegedly inappropriately touched the research scholar daringly. After hearing her help cries, her male friend and on lookers were around came to her rescue. They overpowered the attacker and thrashed him. He was handed over to police who registered a case and arrested him.
Following the incident, IIT Madras issued a statement on 15th January saying “ A woman research scholar was reportedly harassed last evening January 14,2025 around 5 pm at a teashop outside the campus in the Velachery -Taramani region. The male students accompanying the woman scholar and the public at the spot caught hold of the culprit and called the police. The police apprehended the accused and informed the institute. The accused works in a bakery outside the campus and has no connection with IIT Madras which has installed CCTV cameras across the campus and has taken the safety and security of its inhabitants. Students are advised to take precaution while going outside. The institute is extending all necessary support to the woman student”.
This sexual harassment incident comes after a second-year engineering student at Anna University was allegedly sexually assaulted and her boyfriend was beaten and chased away by two persons on the campus on December 23. Based on scientific evidence, police arrested Gnanasekaran (37), a resident of Kottur, reportedly close DMK top leaders. The accused was arrested and confessed to the crime who owned a biryani store on the footpath and a history sheeter with over 15 Firs are filed against him. He is said to be involved in similar sexual assaults cases in the past two. The HC has formed three member women IPS officers to probe the case as it had lost faith in the state police.
Crimes against women did not stop even after the DMK government on 10th introduced a Bill to amend the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women (Amendment) Bill, 1998 and the Bill to amend the Bharatiya Nyaya Anhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 in the State Assembly to ensure stringent penalties against the offenders who harass women.
In the Pudhucherry Technological University (PTU) alleged rape incident which Organiser had reported on 15th, the police have confirmed the same and arrested four persons. It has now come to light that four men on two bikes trespassed into PTU who tried to rape a first year student from Odhisha after assaulting her boy friend on 11th January evening. Pondicherry state students and Parents welfare Association sources said “ the gang found the girl with her boy friend behind the Chemistry department building after class and were talking. The gang chased away her boy friend and attempted to rape her. She resisted and raised an alarm. The gang fled the scene”.
Association president Balasubramani told media “ we understand that the students are from Odisha who may be afraid of backlash if they raised a complaint that leaves suspicion the press release issued by PTU is superficial. It may try to protect institutions reputation and rights of students. The two students went to Indira Gandhi Medical College for treatment and a medico-legal case was registered and the duo was treated”.
PTU registrar in charge Sundaramoorthy filed a police complaint. He, in the complaint, said “four, aged between 18 and 25 years, indulged in a verbal quarrel and used abusive language against the students passing by, thereby causing a nuisance on the premises. In this regard, we conducted preliminary inquiries and found that they are relatives of one of the outsourced employees working in the university auditorium. The egregious act of these individuals caused considerable distress among the student community and staff, undermining the peaceful academic environment of the university. In the light of the seriousness of this matter, a thorough investigation and stringent action legal action against the trespassers under the relevant provisions of the law is requested”.
The registrar did not mention about the sexual assault. Kalapet police booked the four under sec. 296(b), 329(3) read with 3(5) of BNS 2023 and began inquiries.
Police arrested four people including two juveniles in this connection. The arrested private company employee Shyam (19) and govt arts and science college student Vimal(19) were produced before a magistrate who remanded them to judicial custody.