Former IIT Madras scholar held for allegedly sexually harassing fellow Dalit scholar

Nine months after filing a first information report (FIR), the Tamil Nadu police arrested a 30-year-old former IIT Madras research student for allegedly sexually harassing a fellow Dalit scholar on the IIT Madras Campus.

The arrested person was identified as P Kingshuk Debsharma of Diamond Harbour in West Bengal. Kingshuk is still at the Diamond Harbour police station and will be produced before the local Judicial Magistrate to get a transit warrant for bringing him to Chennai for further interrogation.

The arrest was made on the basis of a complaint filed in 2021 by a 28-year-old Dalit PhD student at the IIT Madras. The complainant had approached the All Women Police station in Mylapore on March 29, 2021, and filed a complaint against eight people including Kingshuk Debsharma.

Three months after the complaint was filed, on June 9, 2021, Mylapore all-woman police registered a case against all the eight persons on various charges including section 354 (assault of Criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354B (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe).

According to the survivor, she was sexually assaulted by her fellow scholar repeatedly on several occasions.

The case came into prominence after the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) took up the issue last week demanding stringent action against the accused persons. AIDWA general secretary P Suganthi said the Tamil Nadu police failed to add appropriate charges in the FIR. “The girl belongs to the Scheduled Caste and this was mentioned in every complaint she filed at different places. Still, the police failed to invoke charges under the SC/ST Act,” Suganthi said.

Also read: How its Left roots, migration history helped Kerala tide over poverty

On Monday (March 28, 2022), a police officer privy to the investigation told The Federal that the police would add two more sections to the existing FIR. “We will add section 376 (woman is raped by one or more in a group of persons acting in furtherance of their common intention) of Indian Penal Code and other relevant sections under SC/ST Act,” the officer said.

IIT Madras issued a statement, saying that they have followed all the processes for investigating the matter of alleged sexual harassment raised by the student. “According to the student, the incidents happened in 2018 and 2019 and she brought it to the notice of IIT Madras in August 2020. The institute immediately forwarded the matter to CCASH for investigation,” said IIT Madras in a statement.

“We are cooperating with the investigating authorities. The institute has also extended all support to her during the external investigation, even after her scholarship period ended. The student continues to stay on the campus and the institute is extending all support required to enable her to complete her degree,” the statement added.