IANS | 24 Apr, 2024
The Delhi Police told the High Court that it has prepared a
comprehensive standard operating procedure (SOP) for universities and
colleges in the Delhi-NCR region to ensure the safety and security of
students, particularly female attendees, during events and festivals,
leading it to close its suo moto PIL.
The High Court, last year,
took suo motu cognisance of an incident where women students of Delhi
University's Bharati College were secretly filmed in a washroom during a
college fest organised by the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
The
incident occurred on October 6, and the accused, a member of IIT
Delhi's housekeeping staff, was identified from CCTV footage.
The
court had treated the newspaper report (the Indian Express), dated
October 9, 2023, titled "Harassment at college fests leaves students
anguished, shaken" as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
The
report had highlighted lapses in security measures employed for annual
college festivals organised by universities across the state, resulting
in injuries, violations, and trauma for students attending such
festivals.
A division bench led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan
and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora recently concluded the suo moto
PIL.
Expressing concern about the potential misuse of the videos,
including their circulation on social media platforms, the court had
issued notices to Delhi University (DU), IIT-Delhi, and Guru Gobind
Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU), seeking their response.
The
universities were also directed to submit reports on their existing
security policies for college festivals. The court had pointed out the
need for discretion in the investigation to protect the anonymity of the
women involved and to prevent the dissemination of photographs or
videos by the accused on social media platforms.
Counsel from
institutions such as the DU, the IIT Delhi, and the GGSIPU assured the
court that they would adhere to the SOP outlined by the Delhi Police, in
addition to complying with any directives or advisories issued by law
enforcement authorities. They clarified that their existing protocols do
not conflict with the newly established SOP.
The court
acknowledged the commitments made by the universities and closed the
matter, stating that the recorded undertakings and statements were
accepted. It further said that any future revisions to the SOP would
require the consent of all parties involved.
