Gargi College Students Push Courts To Intervene: What's Next?

Students of Gargi college have been boycotting classes for five days now. Post security breach and numerous alleged cases of sexual harassment at Gargi College’s cultural festival, students staged protests to build pressure authorities to take proper action. A fact-finding committee has begun collecting evidence and reports regarding the incident that took place on 6^th February. And now their call for action has reached the courts of the country.

It is the persistent protests of the students of Gargi college that have pushed the University authorities and the Delhi Commission for Women to take instant action on the issue.

High Court to hear ML Sharma’s plea

Advocate ML Sharma has filed a PIL seeking CBI probe into this case with the Delhi High Court and his plea will be heard on Monday. Economic Times has reported that the advocate told Justices G.S. Sistani and C. Harishankar that no major progress has been made in the case so far and that “they” could destroy evidence, thus requesting for urgent action. ML Sharma’s PIL claims the incident was influenced politically.

However, the student's union of Gargi college has said in its statement that they do not want any outsider to file any PIL. “We do not want anybody to politicise our grief,” read their statement.

Also Read: Gargi College Girls Harassed: College Administration To Blame?

Here's what has happened after the fest

The students' body of Gargi college has issued a statement saying that they have not received any concrete answers from the Administration as of yet. Students have also laid out a series of demands and asked that the budget for Reverie 2020, the college fest is made public. “The principal categorically denied that she won’t submit the budget to the students since it is ‘not allowed’ but can show it to a few of them,” said the statement on the Instagram handle speakupgargi. As the college principal hasn't yet catered to their demands, the strike continues.

The persistent protests of the students of Gargi college have pushed the University authorities and the Delhi Commission for Women to take instant action on the issue. College authorities have agreed to fulfill their demand for an Internal Complaints Committee. This will aid the students in reporting cases of misconduct and sexual harassment. The statement by students' body has also revealed that they have received an apology from teachers at the institute.

We do not want anybody to politicise our grief. - Gargi College student union

Also Read: Supreme Court to examine validity of law that criminalises Triple Talaq

Arrests made and bails granted

Delhi police made 10 arrests in response to the case of mass molestations. A day after these arrests, the accused were granted bail for they could be only booked for trespassing due to lack of evidence, reported Hindu. On Thursday, Delhi police made two more arrests. These men are reportedly from colleges in Delhi and NCR and had broken into the college post vandalizing a car.

Vipashyana Dubey is an intern with SheThePeople.TV.