Sexual assault at TISS: 5 quizzed, probe report soon

MUMBAI : Three weeks after a former student of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) alleged he was sexually assaulted by a male visitor on the campus last year, the inquiry committee has completed questioning at least five people in connection with the incident. A report on the matter is expected soon.

The incident first came to light three weeks ago, when the internal complaints committee (ICC) of the institute received a complaint from the student about the February 2017 incident. The survivor, in his complaint to the institute, said despite repeated protests, he was assaulted on one occasion by the accused who was called for a conference on the campus.

A spokesperson for the institute said the inquiry committee questioned the survivor, his two batchmates, the alleged accused, and a teacher who allegedly asked the survivor to stay silent. As the accused is not in the country, a Skype interview was arranged, whereas everyone else was interviewed on campus.

The complainant, who has not yet come out to his family about his sexual orientation, did not register a complaint with the institute or police then, fearing he would be implicated under section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalised consensual sex between people of the same gender. Last month, the Supreme Court stated that gay sex among consenting adults is not an offence.

The survivor, who plans to file a first information report (FIR) on the matter, is waiting for the report of the inquiry committee, which he believes will add weight to his complaint. “He has mentioned names of people (including a teacher) who he had confided in soon after the incident,” said a student from TISS, on condition of anonymity.

“It has taken a lot of effort for the survivor to talk about his ordeal and we believe the institute should take up this matter seriously,” said another student.

For now, the institute is awaiting the committee’s recommendations. “We will decide the course of action depending on the committee report. We assure students that we will bring justice to our ex-student,” said professor Asha Bano, dean, student affairs, TISS.