More than 300 women students of Savitribai Phule Pune University came out of the girls’ hostel after midnight to protest an alleged misconduct incident involving a student, prompting the university to temporarily suspend two students and accept the resignation of the hostel’s chief rector, according to Lokmat – Pune.
The protest began after students demanded action against the two students accused of misbehaving with a woman student, an apology from those involved and justice for the complainant. The demonstration continued into the early hours, with more than 300 students reportedly coming onto the road outside the hostel at around 3.25 am.
The protesters raised slogans demanding justice and an apology and questioned the university administration’s handling of complaints. They sought immediate attention to student grievances, an impartial inquiry into the incident and concrete measures to prevent similar events on the campus. Some students also marched towards the Chaturshringi police station.
The university administration has temporarily suspended the entry of both students into their academic departments and the hostel, the institution’s public relations department said. The administration also said that the process of filing a police complaint was under way.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Suresh Gosavi has appointed a high-level committee to investigate the incident. The university said that strict action would be taken against anyone found responsible after the inquiry. The report also said that a legal committee would be established to examine the matter.
Administrative changes were announced after the protest. The assistant chief rector of the girls’ hostel was removed from the post, while the resignation of Chief Rector Sonia Nagarale was accepted, according to information provided by the vice-chancellor.
The incident has brought the safety arrangements at the university’s girls’ hostel under renewed scrutiny. Students have questioned whether complaints are being addressed quickly, whether residents can access immediate assistance and whether the existing system can prevent a recurrence of such incidents.
The report also referred to earlier instances of alleged harassment in and around the girls’ hostel complex. It said that students and supporting organisations were seeking stronger security arrangements and full use of closed-circuit television systems in the area. These demands place the focus not only on action against the students named in the complaint, but also on the hostel’s monitoring, grievance-redressal and emergency-response systems.
The immediate next steps are the university’s high-level inquiry, the proposed legal examination, the police complaint process and the review of security arrangements at the girls’ hostel. The findings of these processes will determine the further action in the case.
