BHU violence: Incident was an act of ‘Eve-teasing, not molestation’, says University Chief Proctor’s report

Varanasi: Students and police in a standoff in Varanasi late Saturday night. Female students at the prestigious University were protesting against the administration’s alleged victim-shaming after one of them reported an incident of molestation on Thursday. PTI Photo

The BHU Chief Proctor’s internal four-page report and the university’s vice-chancellor have called the alleged incident of molestation of a second-year student on the varsity’s campus an act of “eve-teasing”. According to a senior officer of Lanka Police station, however, two days after the incident and a day after protests by female students broke out at the BHU Lanka gate, an FIR was registered under IPC Section 354 (molestation) against unknown persons.

The SHO of Lanka Police station on Saturday said, “The student was walking back to her hostel on Thursday evening when a few motorcycle-borne men came near her and touched her inappropriately.” BHU Vice Chancellor G C Tripathi told The Indian Express, “It was eve-teasing, not molestation.”

An acquaintance of the victim said the student was walking past Bharat Kala Bhavan on the main road of the BHU campus at around 6 pm on Thursday when a couple of motorcycle-borne men came near her. “She was on her way to one of the hostels when the men sexually assaulted her. They pulled her hair and one of the men put his hand in her kurta, while another put his hand in her leggings. She fell and the men sped off,” the acquaintance said.

She added, “She ran to the guards sitting around 30 meters away, but they did not pay heed to her. She then went to the Proctorial board and narrated the incident and she was questioned why she out so late.”

According to the Chief Proctor’s report, “a group of girls came to his chamber around 6 pm on September 21 and submitted a memorandum demanding security. Around 7.30 pm, security personnel informed the control room that some girl students had assembled at the Chhatra Parishad crossing, complaining about eve-teasing. When he reached he was informed by students that there had been an incident of eve-teasing with a student of Triveni Sankul near Bharat Kala Bhavan…The Chief Proctor went to her hostel and met the girl.”An molestation FIR was registered on September 22. The report says, “First Lanka police station returned complaint lodged on behalf of the victim because it did not contain her name and address. Next day on September 22, when the victim sent a fresh complaint giving her name and address, police registered a case.”

An molestation FIR was registered on September 22. The report says, “First Lanka police station returned complaint lodged on behalf of the victim because it did not contain her name and address. Next day on September 22, when the victim sent a fresh complaint giving her name and address, police registered a case.”