Canteen worker arrested for trying to sexually assault IIT Madras student

In her complaint, the student said she was on her way back to her hostel on the campus late on July 24 when an unknown man attacked her and tried to sexually assault her when she fell off her bicycle

A 24-year-old canteen worker at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras was arrested on Tuesday after a student filed a complaint against an unidentified person for trying to sexually assault her on the campus on July 24.

(HT PHOTO (Representative))

In her complaint, the student said she was on her way back to her hostel on the campus late on July 24 when the unknown man attacked her and tried to sexually assault her when she fell off her bicycle. The student said she managed to escape and returned to her hostel.

Assistant police commissioner C Subramanian said they have booked the accused, Chandra Kumar, under the Indian Penal Code’s Section 354 (assault with an intent to outrage a woman’s modesty) and the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act.

IIT Madras said a friend of the student reported the matter two days after the incident. “The Institute immediately began the investigation, screened camera footage, and shared pictures of almost 300 people, who matched the description given by the student,” the IIT said in a statement on July 30. An identification parade of at least 35 people on duty that night was also conducted.

“The gates of IIT Madras are adequately secured and at every 100 metres, there is a security guard. The Institute also has a buddy system in place and facility to call for the Institute’s bus along with security staff at odd hours.”