Hyderabad: The city police have reportedly decided to shut the case of sexual assault filed by an English and Foreign Language University (EFLU) student, which led to several protests between October and November.
A female student was sexually assaulted on the night of October 18, on the EFLU campus, at around 10 pm following a 24-hour protest, by over 300 students, demanding the reconstitution of the university’s Sensitisation, Prevention and Redressal of Sexual Harassment (SPARSH) committee on October 16.
According to a report by Deccan Chronicle, the police have decided to shut the case over a lack of evidence to prove the student’s claim. The officials also stated that when the girl was rushed to the university dispensary, and then to a hospital for a medical checkup post the assault, the examinations failed to prove it.
The police also failed to find circumstantial evidence of the assault, adding that those residing in the area also did not hear cries for help, reported DC. Despite heavy CCTV surveillance on campus, the police did not find signs of trespassing on that day.
This comes a day after Dean of Planning, T Samson, was reinstated as the Proctor. Samson was removed amid protests by students who expressed no faith in the investigation with the proctorial board in place.
The university had appointed him Dean of Planning after replacing him, as proctor, with T Srivani. The university stated that he was appointed to the “apex body of the university” for his “sincerity and commitment to the progress of the University.” They also slammed media houses for allegedly publishing incorrect information that he was replaced as a Proctor over the “false allegations” received against him.
EFLU protests
On October 16, about 300 students protested for over 24 hours, demanding the reconstitution of the university’s Sensitisation, Prevention and Redressal of Sexual Harassment (SPARSH) committee.
Students said that the previous SPARSH committee constituted under an EFLU ordinance based on the Sexual Harassment of Women At Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act of 2013, had been defunct since June 2023.
Just a day after the protest, a female student was sexually assaulted on the night of October 18 at around 10 pm, which led to further protests against the administration the following night, October 19.
Protesting EFLU students booked
The police then booked 11 students of the university, based on the proctor’s complaint, after the protests on October 19 over the administration’s disregard for the students’ issues demanding that the victim’s name be revealed in public.
The students continued their protest, demanding that the Proctor be removed from his position while expressing no faith in the investigation with the proctorial board in place.
Second FIR, Hunger strike
The second FIR was registered against four students on November 3, for allegedly harassing and humiliating a visually impaired faculty member on campus.
The students intensified their protests on November 6, with an indefinite hunger strike, where at least 7 students were detained by the police. On November 7, removed Proctor T Samson and appointed him Dean of Planning. However, on December 19 he was reinstated by the university.
The students were forced to call off their hunger strike on November 14 as the administration cut all communication with the protestors, failing their aim for transparency in reaching a truce.
Third FIR
After the students called off their protest, a third FIR was booked against them by the EFLU Registrar, Prof Narasimha Rao Kedari.
In the fresh complaint, Kedari raised concern over the written and vocal slogans by the students including, ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ (long live revolution) on the main entrance of the campus. Claiming that the slogans were objectionable, the EFLU Registrar feared that “this may lead to violence and unrest in the University.”
He also alleged that they were blocking the main entrance of the university which has been prohibited and the faculty was being forced to use “other smaller entry/exit points because of their misconduct.”
