Gargi College students allege harassment during annual fest

New Delhi: Several students from Delhi University's Gargi College alleged they were sexually harassed by a group of outsiders during their annual college fest 'Reverie' on Thursday. The testimonies, shared across social media platforms, also blamed the administration for inaction. Gargi is an all-women college, and even though the events took place on Thursday, no police complaint has been filed yet.

"I was groped thrice by a group of men and when I realized what had happened I looked at them and they laughed in my face," said a student on social media.

Another student calling the incident traumatising wrote, "Men were constantly touching, pushing and stepping on my feet. Moreover, they were passing vulgar comments and coming too close intentionally. I felt suffocated and scared all the time." Students have alleged that the men were drunk and had entered the campus using fake passes.

Meanwhile, the students have called out the college administration for their incompetence, where one student alleged on approaching the principal she was told not to attend the fest if she felt unsafe. Moreover, the administration said it has not received any formal complaint so far. "No incident of this kind was reported to the administration. There were sufficient security arrangements and police, in uniform as well as plainclothes, were on duty. Commandos and bouncers, along with enough faculty and staff, were on duty," principal Promila Kumar told a reporter.

DCP (South) Atul Kumar Thakur, on the other hand, said that no PCR call was made of any such incident and they have not received any complaint in the case. "We will take proper action in the case if someone files a complaint. So far no one has come forward," he said.

The students also alleged that the drunk men were also chanting 'Jai Shree Ram' slogans. Democratic Students Federation (DSF) while condemning the whole incident said, "The slogan Jai Sri Ram has become a shield to ensure impunity despite acts that had established an atmosphere of the fear among the students within their own campus. Whilst the security guards were supposed to check the entry pass of all the male students wanting to attend the fest, as well as frisk them at the entry, these hooligans were given a free hand to do as they please."