 "JNU student on strike over inaction against sexual harassment complaint")
A female student at Jawaharlal Nehru University went on an indefinite strike at the main gate of the campus. The student has started a strike over alleged inaction by the administration against four people over her sexual harassment complaint.
According to the female student, she was sexually harassed by four people on March 31 night in the campus. Two of the four people were former students. The university administration has started an inquiry into the incident. The complainant claimed that the culprits were roaming freely.
She mentioned that it's over 30 hours since she filed the complaint against the four perpetrators but no action has been taken yet except for some formalities.
"My friends and I have been at the administration, leaving our classes, demanding justice, and doing all we can, while the perpetrators are roaming freely," the female student claimed as PTI quoted.
She further raised her security concerns on the campus and mentioned that the person who harassed her and her friends resides in the same hostel.
"I am expected to go into the same hostel, the same corridors, the same mess, to face that person who has caused me such mental harassment," she added.
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In response to the complaint, the university has started the due process. "We are following the due process which takes time. We also have to give a chance to the accused to provide their defence," Sudhir Kumar, the JNU Chief Proctor, told PTI.
He also said that the two ex-students facing the allegation are declared "out-of-bounds from campus".
The complainant is not happy with the ineffective involvement of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU), and consequently, she decided to take the matter into her own hands. She mentioned that JNUSU went to meet the proctor without the survivor as she and her friends were busy with formalities with the administration.
The university official said that the incident took place at around 2 am when the complainant and her friend were taking a walk near the JNU ring road.
The female student demands immediate restrainment of one of the accused from Sabarmati Hostel and cancellation of his registration and for 'out of bound order' against former students to ensure the safety of the complainant and her friend.
The Left-led students union alleged that the four people involved in the incident including two former students belonged to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). However, the ABVP denied such allegations and said its members were being falsely implicated.