A Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student started an indefinite strike at the main gate of the campus, alleging inaction by the varsity administration over her sexual harassment complaint against four people.
The woman alleged that she was sexually harassed on the night of March 31 on the campus of JNU. She said out of four people, two were former students.
The university administration ordered an inquiry into the matter. She, however, claimed that the “perpetrators” of the crime were roaming around freely.
She said "It has been more than 30 hours since I first filed the complaint and no action whatsoever has been taken yet. There have been a bunch of formalities; my friends and I have been at the administration, leaving our classes, demanding justice, and doing all we can, while the perpetrators are roaming freely."
The university, meanwhile, said it was following the due process.
JNU Chief Proctor Sudhir Kumar said the administration is following the due process which takes time, adding the management also have to give a chance to the accused to provide their defence.
The complainant further raised concerns over her safety and security on the campus.
"It must be known that the person who harassed me and my friend resides in the same hostel as I do, and I am expected to go into the same hostel, the same corridors, the same mess, to face that person who has caused me such mental harassment."
The chief proctor had earlier said that the two ex-students facing the allegations have been declared "out-of-bounds from campus".
The complainant also expressed displeasure over the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union’s (JNUSU) involvement in addressing the matter and said she decided to start the protest after seeing its ineffectiveness.
“After witnessing the ineffectiveness of the JNUSU, I decided to take the matter into my own hands. They went to meet the proctor without the survivor while I and my friends were busy in formalities with the administration …," she said.
The purported incident took place when the complainant and a friend were taking a walk near the JNU Ring Road around 2 am, a university official said.
They were allegedly followed by four people, including two students who had already graduated, in a car. These people allegedly sexually harassed the female student, the official said.
The Left-led students' union has alleged that the four people, including the two former students, belong to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). The ABVP, however, denied the allegation and claimed that it was being falsely implicated.
(With PTI inputs)
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