Close to a thousand women students protested last night at SRM Institute of Science and Technology in Kancheepuram district after a student alleged that she had been sexually harassed by one of the staff members in the hostel lift.
"The male gardener masturbated at her in the lift. She had pressed the 4th floor button and he, the 6th. But the man moved the lift to the 8th floor. He did not let her go until she screamed," a woman student told NDTV.
College authorities blamed students for dressing inappropriately. Students claimed that their complaints have not been taken seriously. ¡°In the past too, there have been instances of male workers peeping into our rooms, intruding into our privacy," a student leader said.
¡°One of the first things that the warden told us was to change our clothes. She accused us of wearing short clothes implying that the girl deserved what she got,¡± another student told News18.
SRM University Vice Chancellor Sanjeev Sancheti denied the allegations of inaction and said the administration would look into the complaint. "Students are discussing with us. Whatever the matter is, it will be taken care of. If there is a matter, it will be inquired, Sancheti told PTI.
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The Student identified the man after watching the CCTV footage. However, she was asked to stay quiet about the incident by the authorities.?
Police reached the college to cool down the protests however protesters dispersed after assurances from the university administration to look into the matter.
No complaint has been registered yet.