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Video Producer: Mayank Chawla
Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma
(Trigger Warning: Descriptions of rape and sexual assault. Reader discretion advised.)
Nearly a week after a 20-year-old woman student was allegedly molested and disrobed on the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-BHU campus in Varanasi, the survivor, in a new statement, alleged that she was gang-raped on the night of the incident, police officials confirmed to The Quint.
Earlier, the IIT-BHU student alleged that the three men forcibly kissed her, disrobed her, and clicked videos and photos of the act.
However, no arrests have been made so far.
The incident, which took place late on November 1, led to massive protests by IIT-BHU students who gathered at the institute director's office demanding better security on campus. The student-led protest was called off later that night after the institution promised to look into measures that would enhance student security.
In the FIR accessed by The Quint, the woman, who resides at IIT-BHU's hostel, stated that the incident took place when she went for a walk with her friend at around 1:30 am on 2 November.
The student said that around 300-400 meters from the Karman Baba temple on campus, three men on a bike ambushed her and her friend from behind.
Based on a complaint filed by the woman student, an FIR was lodged on 2 November at Lanka police station under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and under 66E (capturing, publishing, transmitting private photos without consent) of the Information Technology (IT) Act.
Later on 2 November, hundreds of students gathered in protest outside the office of IIT-BHU's director, demanding better security on campus.
In a statement, the IIT-BHU Students' Parliament, a student body on campus, said the "heinous crime" had shaken the "very fiber of the institution."
The student body listed out five main demands to the IIT-BHU administration:
Night barricading to restrict entry of outsider vehicles inside the campus with a single point entry/exit
Centralised CCTV system inside campus
Legal action escalated by college on violent offenders
Immediate on-ground and legal action on incidents
Maitrayi Komple, a final-year student at IIT-BHU and member of the student representative said that the university has agreed to the demands of the students.
"As of now, the protests have been called off. They (administration) have asked us for one week's time and assured students that it would take steps to enhance security," Maitrayi added.
Earlier on 2 November, the IIT-BHU administration issued a notice and said, "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."
On Thursday night, the BHU administration issued a statement to students and said that Varanasi's (Divisional) Commissioner had a discussion with the Ministry of Education about constructing a boundary wall in the campus.
"A joint committee of CPWD and IIT-BHU professors will be constituted and entrusted with the task of surveying the institute campus for construction of a boundary wall… The committee shall submit its report within a week’s time and thereafter Commissioner Varanasi shall forward the same to the government for appropriate approval and funding," it said.
CCTV cameras at several locations, including in girls' hostels, will be installed at the earliest, the administration added.
(With inputs from Lucknow-based journalist Ashhar Asrar.)
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Published: 03 Nov 2023,12:54 PM IST