One held in IIT Madras research scholar sexual assault case

CHENNAI: The main accused in the alleged sexual assault and harassment of a research scholar in IIT Madras, Kingshuk Debsharma (30) was arrested in West Bengal by a special police team from here, a senior police officer said on Monday. He was detained at the Diamond Harbour police station in West Bengal on Sunday night, police said.

Debsharma, against whom his fellow research scholar made accusations of sexually assaulting her repeatedly and also harassing her at the workplace along with his accomplices including two of her professors, will be brought to Chennai for inquiry. He is among the eight people accused in the case registered by the Mylapore All Women Police station in June 2021.

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A fresh complaint to book those accused in the case under the SC-ST Act was later filed as the victim, a PhD research scholar hailed from the Scheduled Caste community. The case gathered momentum after the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) took up the victim's case and sought justice for her and stringent action against the perpetrators.

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AIDWA Tamil Nadu general secretary P Suganthi demanded that the case be transferred to the Crime Branch CID for a thorough investigation and appropriate action. Earlier in 2020, based on her complaint, the internal Complaints Committee against Sexual Harassment (CCASH) found that her fellow scholar Kingshuk Debsharma abused her verbally, physically twice - once in the lab and during a trip to Coorg, which prevented her from using the instruments in the laboratory and even reprimanded her for using chemicals. He made her feel uncomfortable in the lab in the presence of a co-guide who failed to warn Debsharma when the girl complained. Another professor joined hands with Debsharma to ensure that she does not get slot time on the instruments, the CCASH found during the Google meet enquiry.