IIT-BHU rape case: Nearly two months after the incident where a female student allegedly rape within the IIT-BHU campus, three accused has been arrested by the police. The accused identified as Kunal Pandey, residing in Brij Enclave Colony Sunderpur, and Anand alias Abhishek Chauhan and Saksham Patel from Jivadhipur Bajardiha. The authorities also successfully recovered the motorcycle believed to have been used during the assault.
The Accused identity
According to various local media reports and social media posts, concerns have raised about the alleged links between two of the arrested individuals and the BJP IT cell. Kunal Pandey, identified as the metropolitan coordinator in the BJP IT cell in Varanasi, and Saksham Patel, serving as the Varanasi metropolitan co-convenor, have come under scrutiny in connection with the gang rape case.
In a statement to The Indian Express on Sunday morning, a senior police official said, “The arrested of the three suspects has accomplished. Further information will disclose later in the day
Details of the IIT-BHU rape case
The incident occurred on the night of November 1 inside the IIT-BHU campus. Where a female student reported being forcibly disrobed and sexually assaulted by three unidentified men who arrived on a motorcycle. The victim, a B.Tech student in the Department of Mathematical Engineering. She filed a police complaint on November 2, describing the harrowing experience.
In her police complaint on November 2, the student recounted the harrowing incident, stating, “I reside in a hostel at IIT-BHU. At around 1.30 am on November 2, I left my hostel for a walk with a male friend. As we were walking together after some time a motorcycle carrying three men approached us from behind. They parked their motorcycle, forcibly separating my friend and me.”
She continued, “They forcefully shut my mouth and took me to a corner where they forcefully kissed me against my will. There they undressed me, and took explicit photos and videos. Despite my cries for help, they threatened me, instilling fear. After approximately 10-15 minutes, they released me. In my rush back to the hostel, I heard the motorcycle’s engine. Seeking refuge, I concealed myself at a professor’s residence, who then escorted me to the security officials.”
Initial FIR and Subsequent Charges on IIT-BHU rape case
The initial First Information Report (FIR) lodged against unidentified men. The sections include 354-B (assault or use of criminal force to a woman with intent to disrobe) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant sections under the IT Act.
Days after the incident, additional charges of gangrape added to the FIR following a fresh statement from the victim. IPC sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement), 507 (criminal intimidation by anonymous communication), and 509 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult modesty of a woman) were also incorporated into the case.
Following the crime, the Vanrasi police launched an investigation. In the investigation they examine footage from over 170 closed-circuit cameras situated across the BHU IIT campus. After two months, the joint efforts of both the Crime Branch and Lanka police station led to the detention.
Based on the investigation and interrogation of Kunal Pandey and his friend from the Susuwahi area. These arrests represent a noteworthy advancement in the case. Instilling optimism for the pursuit of justice on behalf of the victim.
Campus Outcry and Protest
In response to the incident, hundreds of students gathered in protest at the institute director’s office the following day. By demanding enhanced security measures on campus. The victim’s horrifying account and the subsequent arrests have brought attention to the need for increased safety measures within educational institutions.
The investigation is ongoing as the legal proceedings unfold in this distressing case of alleged sexual assault within the confines of one of India’s premier educational institutions.
