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Daulat Ram College Probes Sexual Harassment Complaint Against Assistant Professor

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Daulat Ram College, University of Delhi

Daulat Ram College has placed an assistant professor on leave and issued a show-cause notice after a student filed a complaint alleging sexual harassment and assault on campus.

A 55-year-old assistant professor at Delhi University’s Daulat Ram College has been placed on leave and served a show-cause notice after a student complained of sexual harassment and assault on college premises.

The complaint was filed on October 29, two days after the alleged incident took place on October 27. The student has alleged sexual harassment, coercion and molestation, and says the professor had also been sending her inappropriate messages and harassing her over the past three months.

The complaint is being examined by the college’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), which handles sexual harassment complaints under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. The Act requires such inquiries to be completed within 90 days.

Vice-Principal Priti Malhotra confirmed to The Indian Express that an inquiry had begun. “We cannot speak much on this as the matter is with the internal committee,” she said. She also confirmed that the professor is not currently attending college.

The professor denied the allegations, calling them “false and baseless”. He told The Indian Express that he was being framed and harassed, and said he would respond to the show-cause notice after seeking legal advice.

The complaint comes amid earlier concerns over the handling of sexual harassment cases at Delhi University colleges. In December 2024, a student at Ramjas College filed a complaint against a professor with the college’s ICC. The professor was suspended from teaching duties for six weeks following student protests and later resigned as DU’s Joint Dean of Students’ Welfare. He denied the allegations.


Image Source: Daulat Ram College Website

Read Also: ABVP to Hold “Arajakta Roko” March at DU North Campus, Expects 10,000 participants

 

Ahana Dey

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DUTA Demands Action After Professor is Slapped by DUSU’s Joint Secretary    

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Delhi University witnessed an assault on one of their Commerce Professors, after he was allegedly slapped by DUSU’s Joint Secretary while being on duty.

A professor of Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, Mr. Sujit Kumar was allegedly slapped and assaulted by Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) Joint Secretary Deepika Jha and other members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), in the presence of police personnel on Thursday, 16th October. Sujit Kumar serves as the convener of the college’s disciplinary committee and is a senior teacher at Delhi University’s B.R. Ambedkar University.

 

The incident sparked immediate outrage in The Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF), who claimed that around 50 students entered the college, alongside Aryan Maan, the DUSU President and Deepika Jha, the Joint Secretary, and ‘mistreated teachers, demanding the resignation of the disciplinary committee convener.’ 

 

The Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) issued a statement asserting that the committee was investigating recent incidents of campus violence involving students from different groups when the assault took place. The Delhi University Teacher’s Association in turn has written to the Vice- Chancellor demanding swift action and has urged the university administration to conduct thorough research and to take further measures. 

The incident has drawn widespread condemnation from the university’s teaching community.

 

Even though Deepika Jha alleged that Prof. Kumar misbehaved with her, she apologised to the entire teaching community. The professor, however, rejected the allegations. Deepika Jha asserted that she was called to the college to address complaints of `misbehaviour and physical assault’ raised by the students against Prof. Kumar. She further accused the professor of being in an inebriated state and of making indecent remarks, constantly threatening her and of making her feel unsafe. 

 

Aryan Maan, on his Instagram, implicated that the party showed up after a student was seen to be dragged by the collar by the professor in addition to him smoking within the college premises. 

 

The Joint Secretary admitted to slapping the teacher but asserted it to be an impulsive reaction to his alleged `staring’, `verbal abuse’ and `provocation’. She expressed regrets over her actions but claimed them to be a concern for female safety on campus. 

 

A DU professor, on the condition of anonymity, had given a statement: “A student from the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) had won the president post in the college student council, and two other posts had been won by the ABVP. The NSUI student had allegedly been assaulted by ABVP members, and he had lodged a complaint against them.”

Prof. Kumar stated that he was forced to resign from his position, and the event took place after. 

In an a statement, the incident was labelled as `ABVP-led DUSU hooliganism’ by the NSUI, who condemned the lack of action by the authorities despite CCTV evidence. 

Anonymous

Featured Image source: Screengrab from CCTV footage

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Satyawati College Student Attacked on Campus; Legal Action Initiated

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A student at Satyawati College was attacked with a wooden stick after refusing a caste slogan. The assailant was expelled, and an FIR under Section 308 was filed. However, there is dissatisfaction with the lack of security within the college premises.

On Monday, 13th October, a student from Satyawati College got beaten up by a fellow student within the college premises. The victim is a third-year student of Political Science. He was attending a society event, and after its completion, he was wrapping up the event and its arrangements; this is where he encountered a few students from the college who were recording a video. On getting accidentally recorded in the video, the students coerced him to say ‘Jai’ (caste name), to which he refused. After repeated exchanges of them forcing him to say the same, a person from the group snapped and hit him twice on his head using a wooden stick. The group, after committing the assault, immediately fled from the college. 

The college staff took him to the hospital, where he got treated and sustained eight stitches. The friends and batchmates of the victim further reported about the incident to the Professors and Staff association, for which they received full support. It is alleged that those students had a history of committing unruly acts in the college where they got rusticated as well. However, it is also alleged that there is a faction of teachers, who give their support to these students because of ‘caste reasons’. 

The college authorities, including the professors, the Proctoral Committee and the Principal, assured the students that effective disciplinary and legal action would be carried out against these students. On 14th October, the whole department of political science from across the years protested near the staff room to proceed with this matter urgently. Following which, the Staff Association had a meeting and expelled the student. The person who propagated violence and got expelled, Deepanshu Chauhan, is a habitual offender and has chargesheets filed against him in previous cases, but there was no strict action taken against him.  

The notification of his expulsion stated that “As per the provisions laid down under Ordinance XV-B of the University of Delhi, which deals with Maintenance of Discipline among Students of the University, any act of violence, threat, or intimidation against a teacher, student, or any other member of the college community constitutes grave misconduct and warrants strict disciplinary action, including rustication or expulsion from the institution.”

The students, along with the teachers, held a march towards the DCP (Deputy Commissioner of Police) office to get immediate legal action against the offender. After deliberation an FIR was lodged against the student on the grounds of Section 308 (attempt to culpable homicide). The protestors received multiple threats from people who stated that they won’t shy away from assaulting other students as well. 

Our source, who requested anonymity, quoted, “This incident raises a larger concern of student safety within the college premises; it further made the parents of the victim insecure about the potential dangers within the campus. Due to this large lapse, we will proceed to boycott the college for 2-3 weeks.”

Read More: Delhi University Palestine Solidarity March Turns Violent

Image Credits- Official Expulsion Order by the college, Satyawati College

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Students Allege Harassment Amid Backlash Over Palestine Solidarity Meet at SVC

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AISA and Bhagat Singh Ambedkar Study Circle’s Palestine solidarity event at Sri Venkateswara College faced administrative backlash, with organisers allegedly harassed, threatened, and forced to sign undertakings by college authorities.

On 10th October All India Student’s Association organised a session with Bhagat Singh Ambedkar Study Circle in Sri Venkateswara College’s Rock Garden on the theme of ‘Marking Two Years of The Ongoing Genocide in Palestine’. The event was supposed to be a group discussion as well as poetry recitation in solidarity with Palestine. The college authorities, before the commencement of the session, allegedly called two of the organisers to their office. This incident is what the AISA states to be “harassment and an attempt to terrorise students.”

Witnesses claim that the authorities including the Principal and the Proctor first publicly scolded and humiliated the students in front of the whole college. Mr. Chetan, who is a professor at the Statistics department forcibly took students’ phones and made them unlock it without their consent impinging on their right to privacy. The students were allegedly made to share their contact details extensively. He made remarks of “Main tumhe ghar mein ghus ke marunga, dekhna tum” (“I’ll beat you up in your own house, you’ll see”) and “If you say any of this in class, I will shoot you.”

The Principal, Vajala Ravi, in response to this situation further allegedly warned the students with suspension and forced them to sign a written note stating that such sort of event wont be held again.

Read More: Delhi University Palestine Solidarity March Turns Violent Amid Alleged ABVP and Police Assaults

Image Credits- Instagram handle of AISA VENKY

Divyanshi Dusad

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Ramanujan College Principal Suspended by Delhi University Over Harassment Allegations

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The principal of Ramanujan College, Delhi University, has been suspended following harassment allegations by a faculty member. A probe committee has submitted its report to the Vice-Chancellor, and the case will now be reviewed by the Internal Complaints Committee.

The principal of Ramanujan College, Delhi University, has been suspended after a faculty member accused him of harassment and misconduct. The complaint was filed on March 13, and the suspension was enforced on September 18 following the submission of a probe panel’s report.

University officials confirmed that a three-member committee was constituted to review the allegations. The panel’s findings have been placed before Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh and will now be examined further by the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). The university has not issued an official statement on the matter so far.

The principal, meanwhile, has rejected the charges. In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister’s Office on September 13, he termed the allegations as “false, fabricated, politically motivated, and baseless.” He alleged the complaint was “a coordinated effort by the faculty member and her colleagues” to “discredit and remove” him, claiming it was filed soon after her promotion was withheld due to “incomplete documentation”.

He further stated that he has faced “immense mental, emotional, and professional distress” and sought protection against what he described as “malicious and politically driven harassment”. According to him, he was subjected to pressure to clear the promotion and was warned of being framed in a harassment case if he refused.

The principal also questioned the process, arguing that the complaint was not initially forwarded to the ICC as required under the UGC norms and the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act. He alleged he was being compelled to resign under the threat of suspension.

“I have never indulged in any inappropriate conduct, sexual or otherwise, with any colleague or individual,” he wrote, appealing for the “dismissal of the unsubstantiated and manipulated charges.”

The ICC will now review the panel’s findings before the university announces its final decision.

Read Also: DUSU Elections Record 39.36 per cent Turnout, Up from 2024 Amidst Clashes and Controversies

Featured Image Source: The Telegraph 

Richa Choudhary

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DU Student Murdered by Her Classmate; Body Burnt at Delhi’s Sanjay Van

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An 18-year-old student from Delhi University was allegedly lured by her classmate, Arshkrit Singh into Sanjay Van where she was stabbed, strangled and murdered by him. 

Just five days before her 19th birthday, an 18-year-old was reported missing on June 1st and was found murdered at South Delhi’s Mehrauli. The alleged murderer who was the victim’s classmate, Arshkrit Singh has reportedly been arrested. Police reports state that both the victim and the accused were students of Delhi University’s School of Open Learning. 

According to reports, the victim left her residence at Jahangirpuri for classes on Sunday morning but did not return home. 

She had last informed her mother around noon that she would be back soon. When she failed to return, her family began searching for her,

a senior police officer reported.

Later that day, the family of the victim received a call from the accused’s father who claimed that the victim had attacked Arshkrit with a knife that led to his hospitalisation in Pitampura. This prompted the victim’s parents to file a complaint with the police and register a kidnapping case. 

Based on suspicion and past altercations between the victim and Arshkrit, the complainant alleged that he may have abducted her,

a police officer told the Deccan Herald, 

Further investigation of CCTV footage led the police to Singh who was arrested. On further questioning, he revealed that he had lured the victim to a secluded area of Sanjay Van where he had stabbed and strangled her to death and attempted to burn her body. 

After the attack, he tried to burn the body. He sustained minor injuries during the stabbing and fled to the hospital for treatment. The body was discovered based on his information,

stated the Deputy Commission of Police (South Delhi), Ankit Chauhan.

In a conversation with Times of India, the victim’s family revealed that Singh had been harassing the victim, his daughter for months after she had cut off all ties with him. They further denied her being in a relationship with Singh and stated that they met at a party where they became friends. The victim’s father said, 

We advised both of them not to meet, yet the youth would come to my house every couple of months to start arguments. We informed his parents too. Though he apologised, the harassment continued. 

He further added that Singh had allegedly disrupted his daughter’s Korean language class by starting an argument and twisting her hand. In conversation with the Indian Express, the victim’s sister revealed, 

He met my mother near the gurdwara. When my mother confronted him about his coercive behaviour, he grabbed my mother’s hand and tried to snatch my sister’s phone from her

She further added,

He used to often threaten my sister with suicide, which would scare both her and my mother.

Shocking details regarding the case have been revealed by the police who claim that Singh used a fake social media profile of someone the victim knew to lure her to Sanjay Van. Singh was seen entering the forested area at around 8:30 in the morning and the victim was located there at around 10 AM. Leading her to an isolated spot, Singh stabbed the victim multiple times, strangled her and tried to burn her body. He was later spotted exiting the area in the afternoon. 

On Sunday, they sat and talked about their relationship for almost two hours before he killed her… she had apparently told him that she was betrothed to someone else, which was when the situation escalated,

a senior police officer revealed.

In conversation with the Indian Express, Singh’s neighbours expressed disbelief at the accusations.

Alleged statements by the accused reveal that he suspected that the girl was speaking to other boys which led to frequent arguments and ultimately led to him planning the murder. While investigations are currently underway to determine the actual motive, the murder weapon has been found and the accused has been reportedly booked under Section 103(1) for murder and Section 61(2) for criminal conspiracy.

Read also: Minor Girl Rescued After Gang Rape Near Moolchand, Alleged Police Inaction

 

Image Credit: Hindustan Times

Aaratrika Ghosh

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The Preying Brokers Nexus and multi-layered Social Segregation

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Securing admission to Delhi University feels like a dream come true for people from different Cultural, social, economic, and political backgrounds. Education thus becomes a channel to  uplift themselves. However, the reality with the landlord mafia is far stretched.

Securing admission to Delhi University feels like a dream come true for people from different Cultural, social, economic, and political backgrounds. Education thus becomes a channel to  uplift themselves. However, the reality is far stretched. Students in and around the area of North Campus have often raised concerns related to their accommodation and the high rent prices by  the landlords. There have been frequent complaints about the quality of services these PG  owners provide. Even then the landlord mafia which controls the chain of accommodation continues to have their way out. The brokers and landowners have been time and again  propagating social and regional Discrimination. In such a scenario no structure acts as a system  of checks and balances on the ethical aspect of these issues. 

At present, the University Campus has witnessed several political changes, one of them which  includes the saffronization of our academic spaces. The minority communities around the University campus are the most neglected and side-lined. Nuzra Tafzeel, a 3rd year student in  DU from Lucknow says,

It has been almost 2 years living here. When my sister and I were  looking for a flat, every broker said, “Hum Muslim ladkiyon ko flat nahi dete” (we don’t give  flats to Muslim girls).”

Nuzra recounts how so many of her other friends got flat in the area but  she couldn’t.

Landlords and brokers both equally bluntly deny any Muslim person to rent their flat.” 

Furthermore, this shows how polarized the campus has now become. People hailing from  the Northeast often face hurdles in getting a flat where the owners don’t allow them to cook non-vegetarian food. 

The landlord  didn’t spare my previous flatmate. She hails from Manipur and last year when the ethnic strife  unleashed Manipur she couldn’t contact her home and get the money. The owner was  understanding for a month but then kept bothering her a lot.” – Srijeeta who has completed her master’s from the University of Delhi. 

A week ago, I came across a broker’s WhatsApp status which said, “Haryana people nothing  is available as of now” (exact words via a prominent broker’s WhatsApp status). In terms of  geographical context, people from regions like Haryana, the Northeast, and Kerala face the brunt of such lewd stereotypes and majority of these owners refuse to rent out their flats to people hailing from these regions.  

All of this doesn’t function in itself, it also has its roots in the lack of providing infrastructure facilities. Especially in cases when Hostel accommodation hasn’t witnessed any increase in  seat allocations in the past few years. 

Of the 20 DU colleges offering hostel facilities (till 2019), six offer both male and female  hostels, while 12 colleges offer only female hostels and the rest offer only male hostels.” – Kainat Sarfaraz for Hindustan Times

The flawed administration leaves countless students stranded and helpless. Elected  representatives in Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections make false promises to  secure votes, which often remain unfulfilled. Most of the candidates who contested for DUSU Union Elections (2024-25) did not address this issue in their campaigns either. 

 

Another prominent issue that comes up in the University Campus area is harassment and abuse by these brokers and PG owners and their attitude toward female students. Many women have encountered brokers who have tried to ask uneasy questions and drunk texted them at odd hours like late at night. Suhani (name changed for privacy concerns) said,

Our PG owner pretended to be unmarried and lured a 1st-year girl into a relationship with him.” 

Students also spoke about scams they had encountered through these brokers who took the security amount but did not enter into any contract or agreement. Unnati Verma, a second-year student from Miranda House who hails from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, recounts how she was scammed by someone who pretended to be a broker.

I lost 65 thousand rupees to this. The flat was nothing like what  they had shown through the videos online. On top of this, the broker abused me and my family. Ultimately, we decided to not rent the flat from him.” 

For students like Unnati who have a limited budget for their accommodation, these instances not only deprive them financially, but also affect their mental well-being. Beneath the romanticisation of the North campus is a multi-layered reality of misogyny, social hierarchy, religion-based discrimination, and harassment. As the academic year 2024-25 approaches its halfway point, severe action against such individuals is required to ensure that no further students fall victim to such brokers. 

 

Read Also: Fire Break-Out and Violation of Bylaws: All in One for Mukherjee Nagar PGs

Featured Image Credits: Jyotsna Singh

Jyotsna Singh

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Mass Memorandum Submitted to Delhi Police Commissioner Over Uber Harassment Case in Vijay Nagar

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A mass Memorandum was submitted to the Delhi police commissioner on Friday in response to the recent harassment case of a northeastern student during her Uber ride.

On 11 October 2024, a mass memorandum was submitted to Sanjay Arora, the Delhi Police Commissioner, by North Eastern students residing in the University Enclave. This came in response to an alleged incident whereby an Uber driver attempted to kidnap a student from Manipur as per the complainant’s statements. The incident took place late at night on 5 October 2024. The complainant called for an Uber from Vijay Nagar to the bus station at Kashmere Gate, hoping to board a bus to Chandigarh. Shortly after she got into the Uber, the driver asked her about her location and other personal details before trying to take her to a remote area.

“When he initially took a wrong turn, I did inform him about it and did grow suspicious, when he wouldn’t listen and instead would tell me to let him decide which way the ride should head in whilst threatening me with a blade.”

The complainant said, recalling the terrible experience. Soon after, she and her friends filed an FIR against the accused at Model Town Police Station. As the situation developed, it became clear that the driver of the car was not the same person shown on the Uber app, which raised additional safety concerns.

The police’s role in all of this was both shocking and severely disappointing. The complainant was made to wait for 7 hours before she could file a complaint, highlighting both the complacency and incompetency on the part of the officials. The accused was charged with lenient sections under the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), leading to an early bail. The accused was even allowed an altercation with the complainant, allegedly to pressurise her into withdrawing her complaint. The complainant understandably felt unsafe, knowing the accused could walk free while knowing her whereabouts. She went on to express her concerns to the police officials but was met with a dismissive tone.

“I was made to wait for hours because the official in charge of filing the FIR was said to be in a meeting. My safety concerns were dismissed and blown out the window, citing that nothing of that sort would happen. All while the accused was allowed to have an altercation with me in order to put pressure on me to withdraw my complaint.

The complainant expressed her clear disdain for the irresponsible and inexcusable behaviour of the police officials at Model Town Police Station. 

The Mass Memorandum in light of this incident, and amidst a growing number of violence and harassment cases against the northeastern students in areas like Vijay Nagar, whose demography is shaped massively by the students coming from the northeast. There have been multiple key demands that have been put forward. The immediate suspension of all the police officers, with a new FIR under Section 74 of BNS, be filed. Section 74 of the BNS rules that acts of violence against women that are intended to outrage their modesty be met with a minimum sentence of 1 year, with the possibility of extending it to five years. The concern that has understandably taken precedence in the demands has been ensuring the safety of the complainant. The police have been asked to provide adequate security to protect her. Seeing the dismissive nature of the North Eastern helpline, a nodal officer has been asked to be appointed by Delhi police, who’d be responsible for matters concerning the North Eastern States. Finally, Uber, which has yet to take any kind of responsibility, has been asked to hold itself accountable for the incident.

These incidents are concerning and contribute to an environment in which women frequently feel both unsafe and unheard. The complainant attempted to contact the North Eastern helpline, only to have the issue referred to the Model Town police station, undermining the purpose of having a dedicated helpline. Vijay Nagar and many such areas in Delhi are student hubs, with students coming to study from different parts of India. Uber then becomes somewhat of a necessity for many to travel back and forth from one location to the other, making incidents like these damming on the part of Uber, who parade the narrative of wanting to ensure women’s safety but fail whilst taking no accountability whatsoever.

Read also: North-Eastern Student of Hindu College Faces Racially-Motivated Attack

Featured Images credits: Getty Images

Yash Raj

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SOL students attacked and harassed during protests on Friday

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Two SOL students were attacked, harassed, and abused during the peaceful protests held in front of the SOL building on 18th February 2022. Read to find out more.

On the second day of the reopening of Delhi University colleges, that is, 18th February 2022, SOL (School of Open Learning) students along with Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) members staged a protest outside the SOL building in the North campus. 

 

The protestors raised their concern about the various problems that the SOL students were facing such as a lack of clarity on the status of the reopening of physical classes (academic counselling session), distribution of incomplete study material to first-year students, and a general lack of apathy of the administration towards SOL students. They also raised their concerns regarding the offline mode of examination for the fourth and sixth-semester students and urged the administration to reconsider the decision, taking into account the different backgrounds the students belong to and the difficulty they might face in coming to Delhi at such short notice.

These batches of students would be taking examinations in the physical mode for the first time without any grounding. People from across the country are enrolled in SOL and would find it impossible to come to Delhi for a physical mode examination. As such examinations should be conducted in Open Book Examination (OBE) format, and both online and physical modes should be offered,” demanded the press statement.

This is not the first time that SOL students are facing such a problem of lack of study material or ignorance of their concerns and demands by the administration. A similar situation arose during the December examinations when students demanded a postponement of exams due to a lack of printed resources and study materials.

 

This allegedly peaceful protest took a turn for the worse when, upon being called in, two students went into the SOL principal’s office to submit a memorandum of the protestor’s demands and were subsequently locked in, harassed, and beaten violently. Both parties ended up filing FIRs in the Maurice Nagar police station.

According to this report, two SOL students, Jatin and Bhim, were called into the SOL premises to meet the principal, Uma Shankar Pandey. They were accompanied by a police constable Vinay. Upon entering the premises, SOL guards allegedly locked the gates and started slapping and kicking the students without provocation. They were then taken into the principal’s office where 20 people gathered and started beating, harassing, and verbally abusing the students in front of the principal as well as the constable. After some time, they were allowed to leave the principal’s office but the gates were still closed. The students had to climb over the gate to escape and even called the police. 

One of the students, Jatin, also sustained an injury in the form of a fracture in his arm and had to be taken to Hindu Rao hospital where medical tests were done and MLC report was obtained.

They were pulling my jacket, my hair and constantly saying abusive things right in front of the principal who was just watching. The police constable was trying to defend us but he was outnumbered. They also snatched our mobile and said they will fail us in exam,” 

 

In his complaint to the police, SOL Officiating Principal Uma Shankar Pandey said, 

Some agitators entered the SOL building and misbehaved with female security guards and manhandled staff of SOL…. they threatened the SOL staff, and provoked other agitators to enter the premises…” 

He also claimed that “stern action” must be taken against them and tried to justify the SOL administration’s actions.

 

Following this, KYS demanded an immediate dismissal of the SOL principal as well as a public apology from the SOL as well as Delhi University in a press release dated 18.02.22.

KYS demands that DU must immediately sack the SOL Principal for his criminal conduct. DU and SOL must issue a public apology for this condemnable incident and adopt a zero-tolerance policy to ensure such an incident does not occur ever again. KYS condemns these dastardly attacks on students and pledges to intensify its movement for the educational rights of deprived and marginalised students,” stated Bhim Kumar, a member of KYS, through the medium of the press release.

 

A similar stand was also taken by Abha Dev Habib, secretary, Democratic Teacher’s Front (DTF), condemning this attack on the students and demanding an inquiry into the same.

The fact that students were violently attacked in the Principal’s Office with the direct involvement of SOL Officials is extremely unfortunate. DTF condemns this criminal attack on students in no uncertain terms. Peaceful protests and demands of students cannot be handled in this manner. When there is zero tolerance for physical assault on students, are the SOL students being treated in this manner as they come from marginalized backgrounds? University should set up an inquiry into the incidence and take action.”

 

Read also ‘DU Reopening Protests: Plan of Action Day 3’

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

 

Manasvi Kadian

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LSR Student Catcalled Near College Campus

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In a recent unfolding of  events, where women safety has escalated as an issue, anLady Sri Ram College for Women (LSR) student was allegedly catcalled near the College campus where other cases of harassment have also been reported.

On 19th February, a student of the Hindi Department of Lady Sri Ram College for Women (LSR), was reportedly catcalled by an unknown man outside the college, adjacent to the back park area  where the Hindi Debating Society of the college: ‘Vaktritva,’ organised their annual parliamentary debating event.

Around 2pm on the same day, the student reported the account of this incident to the Debating Society members and coordinators. She reported of the alleged harasser being under consumption of alcohol or other related substance when he started to direct lewd songs and ogling eyes towards her right outside the campus premise as she was heading towards her PG. However, there are qualms over how they approached the incident.

The Students’ Union of Hindi Department, issued a statement by out rightly calling out the the Hindi Debating Society for being insensitive to the student who faced harassment. They accused the society of showing obtuse actions and claimed that they tried to tone down the incident and normalise it in the garb of concealment by saying things like,” it happens,” “please don’t report it to the cops and create a scene,” “take this with the Women’s Development Cell (WDC)”,  and related things when they should have approached things more boldly. The union further questioned the society asking, “what’s even the point of debating inside the huts while one of your own members faces harassment?”

These accusations were retaliated by the Society in their ‘statement of apology,’ where they acknowledged their inadequacy in helping the fellow student and further denied the statements made by the Department Union against them.

They said,”Upon knowing the incident at least five members of the society rushed to the park but the accused had already fled.”

The Society said that they were a victim of subjugation of administration where they themselves had to resort to conduct their event at an unsafe place upon being denied the permission one day prior to the event. They claimed that they tried in their best potential to reach out to this issue but their outreach was highly inadequate.

To counter the accusations they also said, “At no point did we try to normalise harassment but even if that came out from our behaviour we are sorry, it happened unintentionally.”

They further added,”As far as the calling of police is concerned, we as fellow students have no jurisdiction over a public space that is the back park.”

The Debating Society hinted towards a larger concern, it said,”it should be clear that there is no clear redressal mechanism for sexual harassment that has been happening at LSR Back Gate for years and in that all the women of LSR share pain and suffering. The demand and responsibility should therefore, be directed towards the our administration and institution that has rendered all of us in such a hostile position where it was unfortunate that this one particular student suffered what she did.”

In such unfortunate events where a student was catcalled and made uncomfortable in broad daylight, Police reports were also not filed since they put administration’s name in a bad light. In all of this fiasco there’s no one to fix responsibility to and take suitable actions to change the status quo of ignorance.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat

Umaima Khanam

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