More than 300 women students at Savitribai Phule Pune University staged a midnight protest after an alleged incident of misconduct involving a female student in the university’s girls’ hostel, prompting the administration to suspend the two students accused and accept the resignation of the hostel’s chief rector, Sonia Nagarale.
The protest began after students demanded action against the two students, an apology and justice for the woman involved. According to the report published by Lokmat – Pune, the students came out on the road outside the hostel at around 3.25 am, raising slogans demanding justice and an apology. Some protesters also marched towards the Chatushringi police station.
The incident has placed the safety arrangements and complaint-response mechanisms at one of Pune’s major universities under scrutiny. Students demanded that their complaints be addressed immediately, that the case be investigated impartially and that concrete steps be taken to prevent similar incidents on campus.
The university administration said the academic department and hostel access of both students had been temporarily suspended. The administration also said that the process of filing a police complaint was under way. A high-level committee appointed by Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Suresh Gosavi will investigate the matter, and the university said strict action would follow if the students were found responsible.
Following the protest, changes were also announced in the hostel administration. 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 the vice-chancellor. A legal committee is also expected to be formed to examine the case.
The reported sequence raises questions about how residential campuses handle complaints involving student safety, how quickly residents can access institutional support and whether disciplinary and legal procedures operate independently of hostel administration. The university’s stated response includes temporary disciplinary measures and a committee inquiry, but the report does not establish the findings of that inquiry or the outcome of any police complaint.
The allegations against the two students remain subject to investigation. The university’s next steps will determine what evidence is recorded, whether responsibility is established and what measures are introduced for the protection of students living in the hostel. The report also refers to earlier incidents of alleged harassment in the vicinity of the girls’ hostel and calls for full use of CCTV systems and stronger security arrangements, but it does not provide details of those earlier cases.
The university administration’s investigation and the police complaint process are the immediate mechanisms expected to clarify the allegations and determine further action.
