Chennai Mar 26 PTI A research scholar at the IIT Madras here has accused her fellow scholar of sexually assaulting her repeatedly and also harassing her at work place along with his accomplices including two of her professors for nearly four years after she joined the institution in 2016 Reacting to the incident the premier institute said it was cooperating with the investigating authorities and that it has also extended all support to the victim during the external investigation even after her scholarship period ended Apart from the physical and mental trauma she was subjected to by the group of men at the institution and during a trip to Coorg as well the scholar was prevented from using the laboratory equipment to work on her thesis the woman claimed Police have also filed a case in the matter naming eight persons in the FIR Alarmed at the unpleasant turn of events during her academic pursuit she had remained silent initially but later overcoming her shock she summoned courage to complain to the internal Complaints Committee against Sexual Harassment CCASH which in its interim recommendation sought to restrain her three fellow scholars including the main accused - against whom she levelled her accusations - from entering the campus till she completed her work with respect to her PhD and submits her thesis Further the guides should ensure that the respondents do not submit their thesis until the scholar victim submits the committee said while postponing further investigation until she submitted her thesis Taking exception to the leniency meted out to the men who allegedly sexually physically and mentally harassed her the All India Democratic Womens Association AIDWA Tamil Nadu president S Valentina and general secretary P Suganthi who took up the girls case have sought justice to the victim and stringent action against the perpetrators The leaders claimed that the CCASH enquired and gave an interim order on October 10 2020 based on the scholars complaint on July 17 2020 They said the victim was a member of the Scheduled Castes community The full process does not seem to have been completed The police filed a FIR arranged for her deposition before a magistrate and had issued summons to the accused by mail Valentina and Suganthi said They requested the CCASH not to stop with the investigation with the interim report but proceed in a detailed manner and complete it to render justice to the victim The interim recommendation was given based on an online deposition The victim informed that the main culprit forcefully captured her photos in an objectionable manner but there was no investigation on finding the pictures despite several requests from the victim they said Hence to complete the investigation the committee should conduct the process in person as this is a serious criminal offence which can be a threat to the victim for the rest of her life the leaders added Shockingly the main accused is continuously present in the online meetings carrying out his work without any hindrance and this puts the victim in a real trauma they alleged and expressed concern that the accused may submit the synopsis and subsequent thesis and get away from the disciplinary action of IIT Madras Based on her complaint the CCASH found that her fellow scholar abused her verbally physically twice - once in the lab and during the Coorg trip prevented her from using the instruments in the lab and even reprimanded her for using chemicals He made her feel uncomfortable in the lab in the presence of co-guide who failed to warn him when the girl complained Another professor joined hands with the main accused to ensure that she does not get slot time on the instruments the CCASH found during the Google meet enquiry held on nine occasions from July 29 2020 to September 1 2020 It also found that her three fellow scholars and a professor indulged in describing the girl in a vulgar manner Besides they indulged in substance abuse it said A case was been filed by the Mylapore All Women Police in June last year following the National Commission for Womens intervention Cases were registered against eight persons The culprits have not been arrested so far Sugandhi told reporters here and demanded the probe to be transferred to the Crime Branch CID for thorough investigation and appropriate action Meanwhile in a statement IIT Madras said that it followed all processes for investigating the matter of the student who has raised the matter of sexual harassment According to the student the incidents happened in 2018 and 2019 and she brought it to the notice of the institution in August 2020 The institute immediately forwarded the matter to CCASH for investigation We are cooperating with the investigating authorities The institute has also extended all support to her during the external investigation even after her scholarship period ended it said Further the student continued to stay on the campus and the institute is extending all support required to enable her complete her degree the statement said and added we empathise with the student and will support her through this PTI JSP SA SA

Chennai Mar 26 PTI A research scholar at the IIT Madras here has accused her fellow scholar of sexually assaulting her repeatedly and also harassing her at work place along with his accomplices including two of her professors for nearly four years after she joined the institution in 2016 Apart from the physical and mental trauma she was subjected to by the group of men at the institution and during a trip to Coorg as well the scholar was prevented from using the laboratory equipment to work on her thesis she claimed Police have also filed a case in the matter naming eight persons in the FIR Alarmed at the unpleasant turn of events during her academic pursuit she had remained silent initially but later overcoming her shock she summoned courage to complain to the internal Complaints Committee against Sexual Harassment CCASH which in its interim recommendation sought to restrain her three fellow scholars including the main accused - against whom she levelled her accusations - from entering the campus till she completed her work with respect to her PhD and submits her thesis Further the guides should ensure that the respondents do not submit their thesis until the scholar victim submits the committee said while postponing further investigation until she submitted her thesis Taking exception to the leniency meted out to the men who allegedly sexually physically and mentally harassed her the All India Democratic Womens Association AIDWA Tamil Nadu president S Valentina and general secretary P Suganthi who took up the girls case have sought justice to the victim and stringent action against the perpetrators The leaders claimed that the CCASH enquired and gave an interim order on October 10 2020 based on the scholars complaint on July 17 2020 They said the victim was a member of the Scheduled Castes community The full process does not seem to have been completed The police filed a FIR arranged for her deposition before a magistrate and had issued summons to the accused by mail Valentina and Suganthi said They requested the CCASH not to stop with the investigation with the interim report but proceed in a detailed manner and complete it to render justice to the victim The interim recommendation was given based on an online deposition The victim informed that the main culprit forcefully captured her photos in an objectionable manner but there was no investigation on finding the pictures despite several requests from the victim they said Hence to complete the investigation the committee should conduct the process in person as this is a serious criminal offence which can be a threat to the victim for the rest of her life the leaders added Shockingly the main accused is continuously present in the online meetings carrying out his work without any hindrance and this puts the victim in a real trauma they alleged and expressed concern that the accused may submit the synopsis and subsequent thesis and get away from the disciplinary action of IIT Madras Based on her complaint the CCASH found that her fellow scholar abused her verbally physically twice - once in the lab and during the Coorg trip prevented her from using the instruments in the lab and even reprimanded her for using chemicals He made her feel uncomfortable in the lab in the presence of co-guide who failed to warn him when the girl complained Another professor joined hands with the main accused to ensure that she does not get slot time on the instruments the CCASH found during the Google meet enquiry held on nine occasions from July 29 2020 to September 1 2020 It also found that her three fellow scholars and a professor indulged in describing the girl in a vulgar manner Besides they indulged in substance abuse it said A case was been filed by the Mylapore All Women Police in June last year following the National Commission for Womens intervention Cases were registered against eight persons The culprits have not been arrested so far Sugandhi told reporters here and demanded the probe to be transferred to the Crime Branch CID for thorough investigation and appropriate action There was no immediate response from IIT Madras on the research scholars allegation PTI JSP SA SA

New Delhi Jan 30 PTI The Centre is likely to inform the Delhi High Court on Monday whether it wishes to withdraw its earlier affidavit in which it had submitted that marital rape cannot be made a criminal offence as it could become a phenomenon which may destabilise the institution of marriage and an easy tool for harassing husbandsA bench of Justices Rajiv Shakdher and C Hari Shankar on January 28 had asked the Centres counsel to take instructions on whether it wants to withdraw its 2017 affidavitThe bench which has been conducting marathon hearings on a batch of petitions seeking criminalisation of marital rape will also hear rejoinder submissions on behalf of petitioners on MondayAdvocate Karuna Nundy representing petitioner NGOs RIT Foundation and All India Democratic Womens Association has sought a clarification as to whether she shall address the written submissions and affidavits filed by the central government so far or they are withdrawing itThis assumes significance as the Centre in its affidavit filed in August 2017 had said the Supreme Court and various high courts have already observed the rising misuse of Section 498A harassment caused to a married woman by her husband and in-laws of the Indian Penal Code IPCIt had further said that marital rape has not been defined in any statue or law and while the offence of rape is defined under section 375 IPC defining marital rape would call for a broad based consensus of the societyRegarding the petitioners submission that other countries mostly western have criminalised marital rape the Centre had said it does not necessarily mean India should also follow them blindlyThis country has its own unique problems due to various factors like literacy lack of financial empowerment of the majority of females mindset of the society vast diversity poverty etc and these should be considered carefully before criminalising marital rape it had saidHowever in January Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the high court that it was considering a constructive approach to the issue and has sought suggestions from several stakeholders and authorities on comprehensive amendments to the criminal law He had said criminalisation of marital rape involves family issues as well as the dignity of a woman and cannot be looked at from a microscopic angle and sought some time to respond with the governments standThe bench on January 24 granted 10 days to the Centre to come back with its stand on the issueThe court which has been hearing the pleas on a daily basis since January 10 has concluded hearing the submissions of petitioners the Delhi government and some NGOs which have been opposing the pleasIt was hearing PILs filed by NGOs RIT Foundation All India Democratic Womens Association a man and a woman seeking striking down of the exception granted to husbands under the Indian rape lawUnder the exception given in Section 375 of the IPC sexual intercourse or sexual acts by a man with his own wife the wife not being under 15 years of age is not rapeThe petitioners had said that marital rape was the biggest form of sexual violence against women and the Delhi government had said that this act was already covered as a crime of cruelty under IPCThe petitioner NGOs have challenged the Constitutionality of section 375 IPC on grounds that it discriminated against married women being sexually assaulted by their husbandsNGO Men Welfare Trust MWT which is opposing the batch of petitions seeking criminalisation of marital rape had argued that sexual intercourse between a husband and wife cannot be treated on a par with that in non-marital relationships as the issue of consent cannot be divorced from the context of a marriageIt had submitted that the Domestic Violence Act was specifically promulgated for recognising spouse sexual violence PTI SKV SKV DV DV