A Jawaharlal Nehru University student alleged that she was sexually harassed on campus by four people, including two former students, prompting the university administration to order an inquiry, an official said on Monday. 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.
The chief proctor’s office received a complaint alleging sexual harassment on the night of March 31. The complainant said the alleged incident occurred when she and her male friend were taking a walk near the JNU Ring Road around 2 am, the official told PTI. They were allegedly followed by four people, including two students who have already graduated, in a car. These people allegedly sexually harassed the female student, he said.
“We have initiated an inquiry into the matter and the proctor’s office is probing into the allegations. We have declared the two ex-students out-of-bounds from campus. The due process is being followed and necessary action will be taken after the inquiry is completed,” Chief Proctor Sudhir Kumar told PTI. The Left-led Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) alleged that the four accused belong to the ABVP.
“It has come to our notice that on the intervening night of March 30-31, around 2 am, four people affiliated with the ABVP were found harassing female students at the Ring Road in presence of JNU security guards. They were found harassing and using derogatory remarks directed at the students. The JNUSU strongly condemns this act of sexual harassment,” it said in a statement and accused the administration of delayed action and bias towards the RSS-affiliated group. An ABVP representative, on the other hand, accused the victim of being inclined towards the Left and said, “The Left is trying to implicate our students in a false case. They have done this previously when a subsequent inquiry revealed it to be a hoax.” The university administration recorded the statements of the victim and her friend and also called the security officials and a professor, who witnessed the alleged incident, for their testimony after a students’ union delegation met the proctor to demand action against the accused. Several students led by the JNUSU also protested at the Sabarmati dhaba, demanding action. The university has also written to Dean of Students Manuradha Chaudhary to ensure the victim’s safety, Kumar said.
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