Delhi High Court closes suo motu case on students’ safety during college festivals
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday closed its suo motu case with respect to the safety of students, particularly female students, during college festivals here in view of the standard operating procedure (SOP) suggested by the Delhi Police.
The counsel appearing for the Guru Gobind Singh IP University, IIT Delhi and Delhi University said the institutes will follow the suggested procedure along with their own directives and advisories on the issue.
A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan said the parties will be free to revise the SOP, that has been prepared by the police in consultation with the colleges, in a joint meeting if needed in future.
“The present matter is closed,” said the bench, also comprising Justice Manmeet P S Arora.
Last year, the high court had taken cognisance of the security breaches at college festivals, particularly in relation to female students, following allegations by several Delhi University women students that they were secretly filmed while changing in an IIT-Delhi washroom for a fashion show during the institute’s ongoing festival.
It had then directed the city police to hold a meeting with the representatives of Guru Gobind Singh IP University, IIT Delhi and Delhi University, and to come up with an SOP for making security arrangements during the college festivals.
On April 15, the high court was informed that a draft standard SOP had been prepared, which suggested several measures for safety of the students, such as making students’ identity card mandatory for entry.
The bench had then orally said it will close the matter if the SOP has been drafted in “joint consultation” with all the stakeholders.
The police’s counsel had said according to the draft SOP, the area within the college premises will be under the college administration and that outside it will be under the Delhi Police.
The counsel had also submitted that in the instance that led to the registration of the suo motu case, a male staff was cleaning the ladies toilet, and according to the draft SOP, women staff will be assigned to clean the ladies toilets and women security guards will be deployed.
It was also proposed that the Station House Officer (SHO) of the local police station will be informed 15 days before the festival is to take place.
The police counsel had further said the windows or ladies toilets needed to be sealed to ensure privacy and the hostel wardens must ensure that no alcohol is consumed there.
The court had earlier said it is imperative that adequate security measures are put in place to allow the students to attend such events without any fear of experiencing such acts of violation. It had said that such “recurrent instances” showed the “lackadaisical approach of authorities organising such festivals in envisaging and enforcing protective mechanisms, aimed at ensuring safety of students participating or attending the event”.
