Chennai, Aug 3 (BPNS)

Students of the Madras Indian Institute of Technology have requested the management not to allow unchecked labourers and workers into student zones like hostels and campuses during the night. This was after a worker at a juice shop on the IIT- M campus, Chandan Kumar (20) arrested by the police for sexually assaulting a student on the campus of the premier institute.

It was noted that a student at IIT- Madras lodged an e-mail complaint to the authorities of the institute on July 26 stating that her friend was subjected to sexual assault on campus on July 24 and said that the victim was not interested in lodging a police complaint.

The student said that the victim was cycling her way back to the hostel when a man grabbed her inside the campus and she fell down in the dirt. The man tried to sexually assault her but she fought valiantly and made good her escape to the hostel with a broken cycle.

The complainant in the e-mail said, “It was sheer luck that my friend managed to escape the attack, which could have ended in a much worse situation. She returned to the hostel, shaking and bleeding. It was horrifying to hear about the incident and the rest of our students feel insecure over this.”

IIT- M management had conducted an identity parade of around 300 people including labourers. During the parade on Tuesday, the student identified the culprit, and immediately the IIT- Madras authorities informed the police.

Police took, Chandan Kumar from Bihar into custody and was arrested under Section 354 A of the IPC (Assault or criminal force on woman with the intent to outrage her modesty) and Section 4 of the TN Women Harassment Act ( whoever commits harassment of women in the premises of an educational institution).

The IIT- M will hold a meeting of the students and faculty to decide on increasing the security within the campus for girl students and to increase the security personnel on duty in the campus to prevent any further untoward incidents.