Tension at Pondicherry University as students protesting sexual harassment lathi-charged, arrested

Tensions skyrocketed at Pondicherry University when police lathi-charged and arrested students protesting against the alleged cover-up of sexual harassment cases. More than 24 students, including women, have been detained. Students’ Federation of India (SFI) members along with other students organised a protest demanding the suspension of faculty members accused of sexually harassing female students.

Condemning the action, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Puducherry hit out at the NDA government and university’s Internal Inquiry Committee (ICC) and demanded release of the detained students. "Outrageous! Puducherry Police's brutal lathi-charge and arrests of over 24 SFI students protesting sexual harassment cover-ups at Pondicherry University exposes NDA government’s misogynistic rot and PU's ICC inaction. Accused professors roam free while brave survivors are silenced. Release them now!,” it said in a post on X.

Meanwhile, the university said that it is “making all the efforts” for safe and early release of students. PU clarified that the university administration did not call the police and it was due to some politically-motivated students that the protestors and police ended up in a clash.

“The police was not called by the University administration but came there to avoid any harm to their officers, but unfortunately, the students started abusing them and over a period of time they started manhandling the police personnel. Hence, the police were compelled to use the force…” the university said in an official statement and added that attempts for a peaceful resolution went in vain.

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Pondicherry University sexual harassment case

The protests were triggered by an audio file containing allegations of sexual harassment of a postgraduate student at Karaikal campus. SFI Puducherry challenged the university’s rebuttal to the allegations, wherein officials called the file “old” and matter already investigated.

“The Pondicherry University administration's claim that the sexual harassment audio from Karaikal campus is an "old" matter that was "investigated and closed" is nothing but a blatant attempt to cover up the truth. The victim whose voice is heard in the audio is an MBA student of the 2023-25 batch, and she had shared her painful ordeal with a research scholar who continues to be on the rolls of the same department,” SFI asserted in an official statement.