Hyderabad: Despite being a prominent Central university, the English and Foreign Languages University has not constituted the UGC mandated Gender Sensitive Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH) so far. Hundreds of students gathered at the EFLU gate on Sunday protesting against the negligence of the authorities.
“As per UGC norms there has to be a GSCASH with student representatives to sensitise students on gender issues. Despite our demands to constitute one the university turned a blind eye to it,” said a PhD scholar who did not want to be named.
The Sexual Harassment of Women at the Workplace (Prevention, prohibition and redressal) Act 2012 also makes it mandatory for an establishment to constitute such a body.
“The university never allows debates. If there was a GSCASH it would have created an atmosphere of gender sensitivity and an environment free of sexual harassment,” said another student.
After the rape news broke students marched towards the gate shouting slogans against the authorities. “The irony is that even after many hours no faculty member has addressed us. Whenever any tragedy happens in the campus they keep mum,” said a protester.
Accused admits to crime: police
Kacheguda ACP S. Sudhakar said that the police has started a probe into the rape of an Eflu student and the guilty will be produced before the court on Monday.
“We got the complaint on Sunday morning, and we have arrested the accused. They have confessed to the crime. A case of rape under IPC Section 376 with Criminal Amendment Act, 2013, has been slapped on them," he said.
According to the victim, the incident occurred on the midnight of October 31 when she went to the men’s hostel (Basheer Hostel) to meet her other friends. She partied with her friends, and was drunk. The two accused had consumed alcohol or some narcotic substance and were coming to Nitin’s room.
“I met them in front of Nitin’s room. Since we are close friends, when he invited me, I went inside his room with them. I slept in the room. When I woke up, I realised that I had been sexually assaulted,” she said in the complaint.
“The victim was completely traumatised and was not in a mental condition to approach the police. After her friends supported her, she decided to approach the police,” said a source from the university.
Police officials said that Nitin was her classmate while she was pursuing BA English in the university, and Raj Simha was her batchmate one year ago. "They knew each other for more than four years and they were close friends. So she trusted them. But they took advantage of the situation," said a police official.
Prompt action by varsity: Vice Chancellor
EFLU Vice Chancellor Professor Sunaina Singh said the varsity authorities took all measures after the rape came to their notice. “As soon as we came to know we reported it to the police and got the culprits arrested,” said VC Ms Sunaina Singh.
“We have already banned the entry of boys into the girls' hostel. In future we will restrict girls’ from the boys’ hostel. Guards and cameras are already in place,” added Ms Singh.
Asked about the allegations of students that GSCASH has not been formed on the campus she said the allegations were false. The VC added that they will check students from using alcohol and drugs on the campus.
