9 days after violence, BHU reopens
VARANASI: Nine days after violence and cane-charge on students protesting against an incident of sexual harassment, the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) reopened to normalcy amid tight security on Tuesday.
No sign of tension was visible from the main gate, where the students staged protest, to the spot where the students were cane-charged.
Security personnel kept a strict vigil at the spot where the incident of molestation took place on September 21.
Station officer of Lanka area Sanjeev Mishra said random checking of vehicles would be carried out and strict vigil would be maintained on the campus.
“Strict action will be initiated if anybody tries to disturb peace at the university,” he said. SSP RK Bhardwaj said the situation was normal at the university but strict vigil was being maintained as a preventive measure.
sity but strict vigil was being maintained as a preventive measure. “Patrolling will be done during the night,” he said.
“I wish peace and normalcy returns at BHU as soon as possible. We are here for studies and any controversy affects students the most,” an inmate of Bhartendu Hostel told HT pleading anonymity.
A student, Radhika, said: “Everything is normal now but if action is not ensured, protests may be staged again. We want action against those who ignored the molestation victim’s complaint.”
Sources said some organisations could hold protests against lathi-charge on students on September 23. The judicial committee constituted by the BHU administration to look into the violence and baton-charging on students, began probe on Monday.The committee is headed by retired judge of the Allahabad high court justice VK Dikshit.
DM Yogeshwar Ram Mishra and SSP RK Bhardwaj held a meeting with BHU registrar Neeraj Tripathi, chief proctor Prof Royana Singh and dean (students’ welfare) Prof MK Singh on Monday evening to chalk out security plan on the campus. The SSP said policemen in plain clothes would be deployed at the university gates. “Random checking of vehicles will be carried out. Sleuths of intelligence agencies and women cops will also be deployed,” he said. Three quick response teams (QRTs) of university guards will also patrol the campus. As many as 30 surveillance cameras have been installed as part of the security drill. Halogen lights were installed at 15 locations on the roads leading to girls’ hostels.
A police team also met the hosteller on Monday who had lodged a complaint of sexual harassment.
The police asked the complainant about the details of the accused. She reportedly told the cops it would not be possible for her to identify the suspects. The complainant had alleged that two men on motorcycles molested her when she was returning to her hostel on September 21.
The then proctor allegedly ignored her complaint and the VC drew flak for saying that girls should not go out of the hostel during the night.
In its probe report, a twomember committee headed by divisional commissioner Nitin Ramesh Gokarn blamed the BHU VC for mishandling the protest after the incident of sexual harassment.
Meanwhile, BHU VC Girish Chandra Tripathi has left for his home citing “personal reasons”, triggering a buzz that his leave could be indefinite.
Public relations officer, BHU, Dr Rajesh Singh confirmed that the VC had proceeded on an indefinite leave.
Union human resource development minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday confirmed that BHU VC GC Tripathi had proceeded on leave for an indefinite period.
“The university has received his application and they have confirmed that he is on indefinite leave,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a press conference in New Delhi. When asked whether government would take steps to ensure such incidents are not repeated in future, he said the government would come up with certain guidelines. He refused to comment on who would act as VC in Tripathi’s absence. The VC retires on November 26.
Tripathi is accused of mishandling the situation and his annual leave around this time of the year triggered talks that he might not return. Registrar Neeraj Tripathi led the Gandhi Jayanti celebrations on the campus on Sunday.