Intern sexually harassed at IIT-Madras; food outlet employee arrested
CHENNAI: Greater Chennai Police have arrested a 22-year-old man working at a food court inside the IIT-Madras campus for allegedly sexually harassing a 20-year-old intern of the institute, officials said on Thursday.
The incident occurred on Wednesday night at around 9.30 pm near the open-air theatre on campus when the woman, who was walking alone, was threatened by the accused, identified as Roshan Kumar from Mumbai, with a stick. He then allegedly held her by the hair and sexually harassed her. Alarmed by her loud shrieks, the man let go and fled the scene.
The victim initially filed a complaint with the institute’s security personnel, who launched a search for the accused but were unable to locate him. She later lodged an official complaint at the Kotturpuram police station.
Police reviewed CCTV footage provided by the institute’s security team and recorded the victim’s statement, which led them to Kumar, who had been employed for around six months at a snacks and chaat counter inside the Isthara food court.
The footage confirmed Kumar’s presence near the theatre at the same time the woman was in the area, according to police.
Kumar was arrested under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for sexual harassment and intimidation, as well as provisions under the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, 1998. He was produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.
IIT-Madras issued an official statement confirming the incident: “An unfortunate incident happened on June 25 where a contractual employee of a vendor operating on campus misbehaved with a woman student visiting from another institute. The student raised an alarm, and the culprit was apprehended by the institute’s security and handed over to the police. IIT Madras has zero tolerance towards sexual harassment and is committed to ensuring a safe and secure campus.”