Gargi College molestation: Kejriwal assures punishment; students hold protest

Scores of students of the all-women Gargi College on Monday (February 10) held a protest against the alleged molestation of students by a group of men who had gatecrashed a cultural festival.

Condemning the incident, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said misbehaviour with women students at Gargi College was “extremely unfortunate” and the accused must be given stringent punishment.

Scores of students of the all-women Gargi College on Monday held a protest against the alleged molestation of students by a group of men who had gatecrashed a cultural festival.

Taking it to Twitter, he said, “The misbehaviour with our daughters at Gargi College is extremely unfortunate. This cannot be tolerated at all. The culprits should be given stringent punishment. It should be ensured that the children studying in our colleges are safe.”

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Earlier, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) issued notices to Delhi Police and Gargi College for their alleged inaction in the “molestation” of students by a group of men who had gatecrashed a cultural festival.

The Delhi police said it has launched a probe into the incident and is scanning CCTV footage. Police, however, have not received a complaint in this regard, a senior officer added.

Gargi College molestation

According to their posts, during the college festival, Reverie, around 6:30 pm on February 6, groups of unruly, drunk men mobbed the entrances of the college and forced their way in. The students alleged that Rapid Action Force and Delhi Police personnel were deployed close to the gate from where the men allegedly entered.

A student, in an Instagram post, said, “The college fest was a traumatic experience. I was guarded by two male friends at the fest. But unfortunately lost them in the sea of men at the fest. In merely those 10 minutes, I was groped thrice by a group of men and when I realised what had happened, they laughed in my face.”

While, another student shared on the Instagram page that two women students had panic attacks due to “harassment” they faced.

In a statement, the Left-backed Democratic Students’ Federation (DSF) said, “Thursday saw the Gargi annual fest, Reverie happen in the college premises where the deliberate negligence on the part of the administration and the security led to a situation where a score of inebriated men were allowed to enter the campus and grope and harass the students.”

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“There was a complete lapse of security. The students were groped, molested and even assaulted by the men who all appeared to be in their mid-30s. The college had claimed to set up security but I don’t think there must have been such an incident in any college campus across the country,” a student said on condition of anonymity.

DCW issues notices to Delhi police

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal reached the spot to take stock of the situation. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Atul Kumar Thakur said appropriate action will be taken in the matter. “We have not received a complaint in this regard yet. But we have began a sou-moto enquiry into the incident,” the DCP said.

Police are scanning footage of CCTV cameras to collect evidence and speaking to students to ascertain facts, he added. The enquiry is being conducted by Additonal DCP (South) Geetanjali Khandelwal, Thakur said.

Administration should institute action: HRD Minister

HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said outsiders were behind the alleged molestation of students and the administration of the institute has been told to take action.

Replying to a question of Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi in Lok Sabha, Pokhriyal said the government was aware of the incident at Gargi College, a reputed institute in the national capital.

“Those who were involved in the incident were outsiders and not students. It was not a good incident. The college administration has been told to take action in the incident,” he said during Question Hour.

Gogoi said sexual harassment and bullying often takes place in many higher education institutions and action should be taken in such incidents. He also said a group of men allegedly molested the students after gatecrashing Gargi College during a festival.

(With inputs from agencies)