Lack of coordination between police, IP college led to harassment incident during fest: DCW

NEW DELHI: A lack of coordination between police and the Indraprastha College here over the organisation of a fest and inadequate security arrangements are some of the issues flagged by the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) in its report on an incident of harassment at the educational institution.

The DCW has put forward its interim recommendations to the city police, the IP College For Women and the Delhi University (DU) in the matter. Police registered an FIR in the matter on the day of the incident itself and the college forwarded 231 complaints and representations to them on April 4.

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During its interaction with the survivors, the panel learnt that four people were injured and a girl even sustained a fracture due to the harrowing incident. Similar incidents have occurred in the past in other DU colleges, such as Miranda House and Gargi College, the DCW pointed out.

"The fact that such incidents are repeatedly occurring in the capital where girls are harassed in their own college fests is a matter of grave concern. "The commission launched an enquiry into the issue and summoned senior officials from Delhi Police, IP College and Delhi University," it added. The panel said it has identified some glaring problems. "These must be rectified at the earliest to ensure that such cases of sexual harassment in colleges are not repeated in the future," it stressed.

On March 28, students alleged that some men climbed the college boundary and harassed several women students during the annual 'Shruti' festival at the college. Similarly, in October 2022, some students of Delhi University's all-women Miranda House College alleged that several men scaled the boundary walls and the gates during an open Diwali fest on campus and indulged in "cat-calling and sexist sloganeering".