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IIT-Guwahati suspends student accused of raping batch mate; puts 4 in isolation
Facing criticism for the way it handled of the incident, the premier institute has also assured enhanced security measures to prevent such incidents in future
The Indian Institute of Technology,Guwahati (IITG) has suspended the student accused of raping a batch mate on March 28. Four other students allegedly involved in the crime have also been isolated, said the institute.
Facing criticism for the way it handled of the incident, the premier institute has also assured enhanced security measures to prevent such incidents in future.
“[The accused] has been suspended from the institute with immediate effect from April 4 as recommended by the students disciplinary committee,” said a statement issued by IITG on Monday, 8 days after the alleged rape.
The student, who hails from Mumbai, was arrested by Amingaon police in Kamrup district on Saturday. Though IITG authorities haven’t yet mentioned the nature of the sexual assault, police have registered a case of rape under section 376 of IPC.
“Four other students have been isolated from each other on campus and will be retained on campus for further police investigations as well as internal investigations,” the IITG statement read.
Police questioned the four on Saturday on suspicion of them being involved in the crime, helping the arrested accused or trying to hide evidence after the assault.
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“Our investigations are underway. We will arrest others if there is any evidence of their involvement in the crime,” Kamrup superintendent of police Hitesh Chandra Roy said.
Terming the incident as a “serious violation of disciplinary rules of the institute”, IITG said it compromised the safety, security of students, hostel boarders and residents of the campus. “The institute condemns such heinous acts in the strongest possible terms. The institute is also putting in place enhanced safety and security measures to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future,” it read.
The authorities of IITG are facing flak for reporting the matter to the police five days after the alleged rape, on April 2, and also for allegedly taking the survivor from Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH), where she was taken after the incident, against doctor’s advice.
“The institute would like to clarify that the medical report is awaited only after which the nature of the assault can be confirmed. Also, all due procedures were followed as per the hospital guidance for discharge of the girl student,” the statement read.
Doctors at GMCH said the student was brought to the hospital at 12.50am on March 29 and taken from there by IITG authorities around 4.30am the same day, saying she will be treated at the institute’s hospital within the campus.
“The student was unconscious when she arrived. When she regained consciousness, she said she was sexually assaulted. We conducted a gynecological test and a forensic exam as per the protocol. Despite our advice, IITG authorities took her away on their own responsibility,” said a senior doctor on condition of anonymity.
The woman’s medical report is awaited. On Saturday, a statement by IITG said she was “safe and recovering well”.
