NIT Trichy Students Protest Over Sexual Harassment Incident In Women's Hostel

A protest erupted at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Tiruchi, on August 29 after allegations surfaced that a technician sexually harassed a student inside the women’s hostel. The campus, located in Thuvakudi on the outskirts of Tiruchi, was the scene of heightened tensions as students voiced their outrage over the alleged incident and the institution’s response.

Details of the Allegation

The student, an engineering major, accused the technician, G. Kathiresan, 38, of sexual harassment while he was on campus to fix the WiFi system. According to the survivor’s father, who filed the complaint, Kathiresan entered the student’s hostel room under the guise of performing his duties and harassed her.

Following the complaint, the Thiruverumbur All Women Police arrested Kathiresan on August 29. He faces charges under Sections 332(3) and 75(1) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, in addition to Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Woman Harassment Act.

Protests Erupt at NIT Tiruchi Over Alleged Sexual Harassment Incident

Students staged a sit-in protest overnight, expressing their frustration with both the incident and the institution’s way of handling of it. Protesters claimed that Kathiresan was allowed into the hostel room without a female steward present. 

They alleged, "The warden (Maheshwari) and the steward should have been careful in allowing a male technician into a woman’s hostel room. Instead, they are blaming the student and shaming her for her dress sense."

Additionally, students who protested for approximately 13 hours straight reported that the director of the institute wanted to speak to the survivor only in private and that the warden had threatened to extend curfew times in retaliation for the protest.

Institution’s Response

The protests continued into the morning of August 30, prompting intervention from Superintendent of Police, Tiruchi, V. Varun Kumar. The institution’s director, G. Agila, later engaged with the protesting students, who demanded that no punitive measures be taken against them for participating in the agitation.

Following the protest, Dr. R. Karvembu, Dean of Students' Welfare, issued a notice addressing the incident. The notice stated, "Regarding the recent event, the institute acknowledges its failure in security measures at the Opal hostel and extends our sincere apologies."

The hostel warden expressed regret over the incident, which led to the withdrawal of the protest. The institute has promised to review and enhance safety measures on campus.