‘Forcibly kissed’, ‘stripped naked’: How molestation of IIT-BHU student has triggered massive protests

Thousands of students protested at the Indian Institute of Technology- Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU) in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi on Thursday morning.

This came only several hours after a female student of the institute was allegedly molested and stripped by three motorcycle-borne men, who also recorded a video of the act, near her hostel.

The agitators claimed outside elements were involved in the incident, while demanding better security arrangements on campus.

The horrific incident

According to a complaint lodged by the woman, she came out of her hostel to meet a friend near the Gandhi Smriti Hostel intersection on Wednesday late night.

Both of them were near the Karman Baba temple when three men came there on a motorcycle and approached them, said police. They forcibly took her to a corner and gagged her after separating her from her friend. The accused then stripped the woman, made a video of her and clicked photos. They let her go after 15 minutes and took her phone number, the complaint stated, as per PTI.

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Indian Express cited the complaint as reading, "I am a resident of a hostel at IIT-BHU. On November 2 around 1.30 am, I left my hostel for a walk. I met a male friend. We were walking together, a motorcycle approached us from behind with three men. They parked their motorcycle and separated my friend and me. They shut my mouth tightly and took me to a corner, kissed me forcibly, and took off all my clothes, and recorded photos and videos. When I shouted for help, they threatened to kill me. They let me go after 10-15 minutes. When I ran towards my hostel, I heard the sound of the motorcycle. Then, I hid at the residence of a professor, who took me to the security officials."

On the basis of the woman’s complaint, an FIR has been registered under Section 354-B (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 506b (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and under provisions of the Information Technology Act at Lanka police station, police said.

According to the report, multiple teams have been formed to nab the accused.

In view of the incident, the institute administration has also decided to keep all the barricades at the campus closed from 10 pm to 5 am.

IIT-BHU administration in a notice issued by the Registrar said, “In order to ensure a safe and secure environment in the campus for staff and students, all barricades in the institutes shall henceforth be closed from 10 pm to 5 am.”

During this period, the guard at post may allow vehicles which has BHU stickers/IIT (BHU) ID card, it added.

Demand for "closed campus"

Soon after the incident came to light, over 2,000 students gathered near IIT-BHU’s Rajputana Hostel and also took to the streets, demanding enhanced security measures.

The agitators were seen holding placards and raising slogans, “We want closed campus,” while demanding that a ban on entry of outsiders on the campus.

They also questioned the safety of students and asked for better security arrangements. They claimed that the CCTVs installed in residence and campus are out of order, as per News18.

The students said that girls are not safe as there are no security personnel in most of the areas of the institute.

Calls for strict action

Abhay Singh, secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) unit of BHU, also demanded that the three accused be identified and strict possible action be taken against them.

Reacting to the incident, Congress said, “This is the condition of a prestigious institute of the country. UP CM Yogi trumpets this law and order situation, where a girl student is molested inside the university.”

Taking to X, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, “Are BHU campuses and even top institutions like IITs not safe now? Is it no longer possible for a girl student in the Prime Minister’s constituency to walk fearlessly inside her own educational institution?”

With inputs from agencies