A 29-year-old migrant worker was arrested by the Kotturpuram police on charges of sexually assaulting an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras student when she was at a tea shop along the Taramani-Velachery Main Road on Tuesday evening, January 14.

Onlookers and other students nabbed the man and handed him over to the police, as per a report by The New Indian Express.

According to the police, the accused, Sriram of Uttar Pradesh, has been working at a bakery in the locality for the past two months.

After Sriram touched the student inappropriately, she raised an alarm and those present nearby apprehended and handed him over to the police.

This is what the IIT said in its statement:

A woman research scholar of IIT Madras was reportedly harassed last evening, 14th January 2025 around 5.30 pm, at a tea-shop OUTSIDE the Campus in the Velachery-Taramani region. The male students accompanying the woman scholar, and public at the spot, caught hold of the culprit and called the police. The police apprehended the accused and informed the Institute. The accused works in a bakery outside Campus and has NO connection with IIT Madras.

IIT Madras has installed CCTV cameras across the Campus and has taken adequate measures to ensure the safety and security of its inhabitants. Students are also advised to take precautions while going outside.

The Institute is extending all necessary support to the woman student.