NCW takes suo moto cognisance after intern's alleged sexual assault in IIT Madras campus

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo moto cognisance of an incident involving the alleged sexual harassment of a 20-year-old intern inside the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras campus. In an official statement released on Saturday, the commission urged the Director General of Police, Tamil Nadu, to ensure a fair and time-bound investigation into the matter under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

The accused, Roushan Kumar, 22, works at the Isthara food court on the campus. According to officials, on the night of June 26 at approximately 9:20 PM, the accused allegedly harassed the intern by pulling her hair and hitting her with a stick. Based on the complaint received and evidence collected during the preliminary inquiry, Chennai police arrested the accused on June 27.

In its statement posted on X, the NCW said, “National Commission for Women has taken suo moto cognizance of a media report regarding the sexual harassment of a 20-year-old woman intern at IIT-Madras by a food court employee on campus.” The statement added that Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has written to the state police chief and also directed the authorities to provide necessary psychological support to the woman.

Officials confirmed that the complaint was registered and that the police are conducting a detailed investigation. The identity of the complainant has been withheld, and her condition is being monitored. Authorities have not disclosed further details regarding the sequence of events or evidence collected.

In response to the incident, the All India Students' Federation announced a protest to be held on Saturday at 11 AM on the IIT Madras campus. The protest aims to highlight safety concerns and call for measures to ensure the security of women on educational campuses. Further developments in the investigation are awaited.