‘Sexual abuse’ at IIT-Bombay surfaces on social media

Sexual assault at IIT-Bombay has been doing the rounds on social media. (Express Archive)

Allegations of sexual assault on campus against a graduate student of the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, have surfaced on social media.

A student allegedly ‘came out’ on social media last week and revealed that he was molested by a senior student who graduated this year. The student said that he had brought up the matter with the institute administration but to no effect.

An official from the institute, on the condition of anonymity, said that five anonymous complaints had been received by the institute against a student in March this year. A Disciplinary Action Committee was set up immediately to look into the matter. “Three of the five complainants had deposed before the committee and swift action was taken. Some disciplinary action was taken against the student against whom the complaints had been received but there wasn’t enough circumstantial evidence to expel him,” said the source.

After the student graduated, the complaints gathered momentum on social media with alleged victims posting about molestations at the hands of the student on a social media page, IIT Bombay Diaries-Confessions. Thereafter other students came out with similar complaints of molestation on the social media page against more than one student. Dean of Student Affairs Soumyo Mukherjee remained unavailable for comment.