More than 300 women students of Savitribai Phule Pune University came out of their hostel late at night to protest over alleged harassment by students from the university’s education department and demand stronger safety assurances from the administration.
The protest began at around 10.30 pm on Sunday, according to a report by Pudhari – Pune. At approximately 3.25 am, more than 300 students left the hostel premises and gathered on the road outside. They raised slogans against the university administration and its security arrangements.
The students alleged that students from the education department had harassed and behaved improperly with a woman student. They demanded an apology from the students involved and assurances that women living in the university’s hostels would be protected.
The report did not identify the student who made the allegation or provide details about the location and circumstances of the alleged incident. It also did not specify whether a police case had already been formally registered at the time of publication.
In a statement cited in the report, the university administration said it was taking the matter seriously in view of the safety of women students on campus. The administration said a police complaint was being filed against the students concerned.
The university also said that the access of the two students to their academic department and hostel had been suspended with immediate effect. The statement did not name the students or clarify whether the suspension would remain in place until the completion of the inquiry.
The administration further said that a high-level committee appointed by the vice-chancellor would investigate the entire matter. It said strict action would be taken against those found responsible after the inquiry.
The overnight protest has brought renewed attention to the practical functioning of safety systems inside large residential university campuses. While the university has announced immediate administrative measures, the report does not provide details of the existing hostel security arrangements, the complaint-handling process or the specific steps being taken to address the students’ wider concerns.
The next formal steps announced by the university are the filing of the police complaint, the inquiry by the vice-chancellor-appointed committee and action against those found responsible. Further details will depend on the police process and the committee’s findings.
