IIT Delhi fest: Delhi HC takes strict note of secret filming of female students at Delhi University's washroom
New Delhi, October 10: The Delhi High Court has initiated suo motu proceedings based on a media report concerning an incident at Delhi University where several female students were secretly recorded in a washroom while changing their clothes. The court has also instructed the Delhi Police to provide a status report outlining the actions taken against those responsible for the incident.
On October 9, 2023, a Bench led by the Chief Justice of Delhi, along with Justice Sanjeev Narula, directed the Delhi Police to submit a status report within two weeks detailing the actions taken against those involved in the October 6, 2023 incident at IIT-D. The Delhi High Court emphasised that the Investigating Officer must handle the case discreetly to protect the anonymity of the women involved.
The court also ordered immediate measures to prevent the dissemination of photographs and videos taken by the accused, with the Deputy Commissioner of Police and the Investigating Officer instructed to promptly remove any such media from social media platforms, in compliance with the law.
Furthermore, the court mandated that universities submit a report outlining their existing security policies for college festivals held on their campuses. The court's action was prompted by a newspaper article titled "Harassment at college fests leaves students anguished, shaken," published on October 9, 2023, which highlighted security lapses during university organised annual college festivals, resulting in injuries, violations, and trauma for attending students.
The article specifically mentioned an incident during the Rendezvous festival at IIT-D on October 6, 2023, where students from Bharati College, University of Delhi, participating in a fashion show event, discovered an individual secretly filming them while changing costumes in a washroom. The CCTV footage revealed that the individual was part of IIT-D's housekeeping staff, causing distress to the victims and raising concerns about the potential misuse and circulation of the recorded videos on social media platforms.
The court expressed its concern about multiple cases of student harassment and security lapses at university organised college festivals and stressed the importance of implementing effective security measures to ensure that students can attend such events without fear of violation. Therefore, the court has decided to take suo motu cognizance of security breaches, particularly concerning female attendees, at festivals organized by colleges and universities in Delhi-NCR.
- PTC NEWS
