The Delhi High Court has voiced its "unease" over the impending closure of a case of alleged sexual harassment of girl students during a cultural festival at Delhi University’s Gargi College in February 2020, PTI reported.
The court has asked the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) concerned to personally look into the matter and supervise the investigation in the criminal case lodged in the alleged sexual harassment incident, expressing that media reports alluding to the detention and subsequent release of certain individuals necessitate a comprehensive follow-up.
The court also added that the law enforcement agencies must instil confidence in victims and witnesses, and assist them to come forward to make necessary disclosures about the incident, as per the order that was passed on August 17. The order copy was made available on the high court's website today, Tuesday, August 22.
A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula also added that it is crucial to scrutinise all available footage, especially those capturing the vehicles, given the evidence suggesting their significant role in the incident, added PTI.
On February 6, 2020, a group of men had broken into Gargi College during the Reverie fest and allegedly groped, harassed and molested the attendees, who claimed security officials stood watching when the incident took place.
During the hearing, the counsel for Delhi Police submitted that the city police have filed an "untraced report" before the trial court as not even a single girl identified anyone who sexually harassed them.
The students said they were molested but none of them came forward to record their statement before a magistrate as they have moved on in their lives and their families do not want to pursue any criminal, police said.
Prevention of recurrence
Moreover, to ensure the prevention of any recurrence of such incidents, the high court said a two-pronged approach is required.
“First, the Commissioner of Police, in conjunction with the Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University, is directed to bolster police visibility and surveillance during college events. Secondly, both the college and Delhi University administrations must work in concert with the police to establish protective protocols, ensuring students' safety,” the bench said.
