As a rape survivor who has spent the past year fighting for justice against Avinav Thakur, the Assistant Registrar of Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD), I am devastated — but not surprised — to see the institute once again choosing power over principles, and silencing dissent instead of supporting truth.
Three students — Aslam S, Sayeedh MA, and Nahal Ibnu Abullaise — have just been suspended by RGNIYD, allegedly for writing “Jai Bhim” and “Free Palestine” on hostel walls. The institute called these slogans “anti-national” and used this to invoke disciplinary action just a day before their final exams. Their suspension bars them from entering the campus and denies them the right to write their exams, destroying their academic future.
But here’s what the public needs to know: these are the same students who stood with me — who raised their voices in protest against Avinav Thakur, the man who raped me. They demanded accountability, they demanded justice, and they asked the administration to suspend him while he is facing a rape trial in the District Court of Chandigarh.
The charges against him are not light — they include Section 376 (rape), 328 (poisoning), and Section 67 of the IT Act. The next court hearing is on July 18, 2025.
Yet, Avinav Thakur remains in his post. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and the RGNIYD administration continue to shield him — ignoring the CCS (CCA) Rules, Rule 10, which clearly state that any government employee facing a rape trial must be immediately suspended, even if they are out on anticipatory bail.
So I ask: Is writing ‘Jai Bhim’ more dangerous than raping a woman? Is “Free Palestine” more unacceptable than using one’s position to silence survivors and intimidate students? Is justice in this country only for the rich, the powerful, and the politically connected?
Avinav Thakur is not just an accused — he is a habitual offender. Yet, he continues to misuse his position to threaten me, manipulate institutional processes, and retaliate against anyone who dares to speak the truth. These three students are being punished not because of any graffiti — but because they dared to take a stand against rape culture inside a government institution.
His ties with former Youth Minister Anurag Thakur are no secret. That is why every rule is being twisted to protect him, while students fighting for justice are suspended for slogans that are neither anti-national nor unlawful. “Jai Bhim” is a call for equality.
“Free Palestine” is a call for justice. But apparently, in RGNIYD today, only those who stay silent about sexual assault are considered “patriotic.”
I am living proof of how this system fails survivors. I have been humiliated, threatened, and pushed to the edge. And now, even the students who believed in me are being destroyed by the very institution that was supposed to protect them.
RGNIYD was meant to be a national institute for youth development. But today, it has become a place where justice is mocked, and power is worshipped. I appeal to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and the public— if you can suspend students for paint on a wall, you must suspend a man facing rape trial.
Stop hiding behind technicalities. Stop protecting predators. And stop punishing those who dare to speak the truth.
(The author is an Associate Professor based in Zirakpur, Punjab, who has accused RGNIYD Assistant Registrar Avinav Thakur of blackmail and repeated sexual assault between 2022 and 2024. Despite serious charges under IPC Sections 376 (Rape) and 328 (Poisoning), and ongoing trial proceedings in the District Court of Chandigarh, Thakur remains in his post. The survivor writes this piece after three student supporters, who demanded Thakur’s suspension, were rusticated just before exams for allegedly writing “Jai Bhim” and “Free Palestine” on hostel walls.)
