NIT Trichy Woman Student Sexually Harassed Inside Hostel Room, Warden Blames Her Clothes

The warden blamed the victim and the kind of clothes she was wearing.

New Delhi: It is said, assumed, and believed that outside the home, teachers and other staff at educational institutions are the guardians of the students.

But in a case being reported from National Institute of Technology (NIT) Trichy (Tiruchirappalli) in Tamil Nadu, a woman student who was allegedly sexually harassed inside a hostel room, was blamed by the hostel warden for the incident blaming her clothes.

On August 29, a man who came to fix the college Wi-Fi flashed at the victim. When the student complained to the warden about the incident, the warden blamed the victim and the kind of clothes she was wearing.

“The warden criticised her clothes. The institute should apologise and not shame the victim,” said a student added.

Following this, a massive protest erupted on the campus of NIT Trichy as hundreds of students gathered overnight on August 29 to protest over the institute’s alleged apathy over the crime and the warden’s attitude.

According to reports, the incident allegedly took place on Thursday, August 29 at around 11:30 pm following which the student first informed the hostel warden who reportedly shamed her. After that she informed her father who filed a complaint with the police. Meanwhile, the NIT management campus informed the local inspector, police said.

A student requesting anonymity said that as soon as the victim had complained to the warden, she was shamed and they didn’t take any action.

“The warden criticised her clothes, blamed her for the incident. The institute should apologise and not shame the victim. They must support whoever is complaining,” said the student.

The police arrested the accused for alleged sexual misconduct with a student.

“The accused has been arrested and sent to judicial remand. When the student was alone, he sexually harassed her. The protesting students have raised some complaints against the institution,” said superintendent of police Varun Kumar.

The accused has been identified as G Kathiresan. He has been booked under sections 332(3) and 75(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and under section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Women Harassment Act, he said.

“The warden asked her about her clothes which upset the victim. Despite security and the warden being there, the students are questioning how the accused was able to enter the hostel. The institute has agreed to look into these issues. There has been a lapse in the security agency. We have instructed the institute to take action against them too,” said a senior police officer.

Meanwhile, the NIT administration issued a statement, “The warden has apologised to the students. The administration is distressed at the gross sexual misconduct of an outsourced worker in the Opal women’s hostel. The matter, which brought the students out in protest, is viewed with utmost sensitivity and concern. Following the incident, the administration of NIT have drawn out more stringent measures to ensure the safety of all students on campus, particularly, the safety of its girl students.”