IIT-BHU molestation case: Accused still at large

Varanasi, Nov 5: The Uttar Pradesh Police in Varanasi are yet to arrest the accused in the IIT-BHU molestation case.

A girl student was molested by three men on Wednesday night on the campus which led to massive protests by students on Thursday and Friday.

Students claimed that the same accused had molested another student two days before the Wednesday incident.

The institute’s Dean confirmed that a complaint regarding the earlier incident was received by the Proctor’s office and that action was being taken.

Several members of the IIT-BHU Students’ Parliament said “there was delay in taking action in the earlier incident”. Both the incidents happened at a relatively isolated spot on the campus.

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.

Students’ Parliament vice-president Pranav Kishore alleged, “Two days before the incident on Wednesday night, at 1.30 a.m. 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 did not 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.”

The police spokesman, meanwhile, said that efforts to arrest the accused have been intensified and several teams have been deployed for the same.