Varanasi, Dec 31 – In a disturbing turn of events, three men have been arrested in connection with the brutal gangrape of a female student at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus on November 1st.The young woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was walking back to her hostel late that night with a friend when the horror unfolded. According to police reports, the two were accosted by three men on a motorcycle who forcibly separated them.
The victim’s friend managed to escape but the woman was dragged to a secluded corner on campus and subjected to a horrific 15 minute ordeal.“They gagged her to prevent her from crying out and then stripped her naked, gangraped her, took photos and made videos before letting her go,” revealed SHO Shivakant Mishra of Lanka police station. An FIR was immediately filed under sections 354 and provisions of the IT Act. Charges of gangrape were added once the gravity of the situation became apparent.
The three perpetrators – Kunal Pandey, Anand Chauhan and Saksham Patel – were tracked down and arrested within days. However, the scars of that fateful night may stay with the victim forever.The shocking incident has sent ripples through the student community and raised serious concerns about safety on campus. Protests have broken out demanding improved security as well as sensitivity training for male students and staff.
“We chose this university because of its reputation for academic excellence. But no parent sends their daughter to college expecting this,” said a distressed faculty member on condition of anonymity. “Much more needs to be done to prevent such attacks in future.”IIT administration has issued assurances that security will be beefed up. But for now, fear and anger prevail on the prestigious campus once considered a safe haven for the country’s best and brightest.
