Plea in SC for court-monitored CBI probe into alleged molestation of DU college students

A petition was filed on Wednesday in the Supreme Court seeking a CBI probe monitored by it into alleged molestation of students by a group of men who had gate-crashed a cultural fest at the all-women Gargi College of the Delhi University. The PIL, filed by M L Sharma, has sought a direction to the probe agency to seize all video recordings and footage from CCTV cameras around the college campus.

It also sought arrest of the people behind the "planned criminal conspiracy". The incident came to light after some students took to Instagram to narrate their unpleasant experiences during the fest on February 6 and alleged that security personnel did nothing to control the unruly groups.

The petition alleged that it was a planned political and criminal conspiracy hatched in the backdrop of the Delhi elections and since February 6, no action has been taken against the accused. Poll is Delhi were held on February 8 and the result was declared on February 11.

"The state government took no action. It is a clear criminal conspiracy hatched by the political party to deploy accused persons to provoke the Delhi public for effecting voting in their favour. Despite presence of Delhi Police ... on February 6, neither principal nor other state authorities tried to stop and arrest the accused persons," the PIL stated. The petition claimed that "deliberate chants of Jai Shri Ram discloses that it is a political, planned conspiracy" and blamed the chief minister of Delhi for not taking any action against the accused.

"Entire incident is being supported/protected by the state government and no action of arrest has been done till now for justice and to prosecute all accused persons therefore unless this court takes action, real political persons and accused persons will not be arrested at all," the plea said. On February 6, a group of men broke into Gargi college during the 'Riverie' fest and allegedly groped, harassed and molested the attendees, who claimed that security officials just kept watching when the incident took place.

Besides the security arranged for by the college, the area had Delhi Police and paramilitary force personnel who were stationed in the area for the assembly polls. According to Atul Kumar Thakur, DCP (south), a case has been registered under IPC sections 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrong­ful restraint), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).

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