IIT-BHU gang rape: Third accused granted bail after 11 months in jail
The incident occurred on November 1, 2023, when the IIT-BHU student and her friend were allegedly accosted by three men on a motorbike near their hostel.
The Allahabad high court has granted bail to Saksham Patel, the third accused in the 2023 gang rape of an Indian Institute of Technology-Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU) student. Patel’s bail was approved in connection with a case registered under the Gangster Act at Lanka police station in Varanasi, allowing him to walk free after 11 months in custody.
Two other accused, Kunal Pandey and Abhishek Chauhan, were granted bail earlier.
Justice Karunesh Singh Pawar, while allowing Patel’s bail application, noted, “Considering the submissions made, the record, and the fact that Patel has been granted bail in a separate case mentioned in the gang chart, and has no prior criminal history except for one such case, I find it a fit case for granting bail. Additionally, Patel has been in custody since December 31, 2023.”
The incident occurred on November 1, 2023, when the IIT-BHU student and her friend were allegedly accosted by three men on a motorbike near their hostel. The accused allegedly restrained the victim, forced her to strip at gunpoint, filmed the assault, and raped her.
The brutal incident sparked protests on campus, with students demanding swift justice and enhanced safety measures. The accused were arrested two months later, and while Pandey and Chauhan have already been granted bail, Patel’s bail was approved in the court’s order passed on November 13, 2024.