3 youths held for eve-teasing on DDU campus
The youths were not varsity students, and forced their way into the university despite the guard’s opposition.
Close on the heels of a molestation case on the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) campus last month that led to widespread outrage, a BA student from the home science department of the DDU University in Gorakhpur was sexually harassed by three youths, who allegedly also tried to abduct her.
Police have arrested the accused, Raj Kishore Yadav, Vijay Paswan and Alok Sharma, and booked them under sections 354, 354(D) of the IPC on the basis of a complaint filed by university proctor, Prof Gopal Prasad, and sent them to jail.
However, police denied the abduction claim. “It is a case of eve-teasing and not an abduction bid. All three accused have been booked and sent to jail,” said SSP Satyartha Anirudhdh Pankaj.
As per university officials, the incident occurred at 11–11.45 am, soon after classes commenced.
“Three outsiders on two bikes didn’t listen to the guards and forced their way to the university’s home science department. They parked one of the bikes at the proctor’s office and rode on the other one to the home science department. Once they spotted the girl, a day scholar, at the department, they started harassing her. The guard deployed at the department informed us about the incident and we rushed to the spot along with the police. The culprits were then arrested,” Prof Prasad told HT.
Patrolling has been intensified on the campus and all outsiders were being checked before entry, the proctor said, adding that 100 guards were keeping an eye on the hostels as well as various departments.
DDU enrols around 16,000 students in 50 courses of graduation, PG and diplomas. There are six hostels, including two for girls.