SANTINIKETAN: A Bolpur court on Sunday turned down the bail plea of three students of Visva-Bharati’s Kala Bhavana and remanded them to three days in police custody for “sexually tormenting” a girl, also a first-year fine arts student from Sikkim. The fourth accused is still on the run.
The three accused — Anirudhha Karmakar, Anirban Giri and Masum Asick Molla — were arrested on the basis of an FIR lodged by Visva-Bharati’s proctor Harish Chandra after a university sexual harassment committee found four people responsible for the crime.
The move by Visva-Bharati authorities to lodge an FIR was partly prompted by Sikkim CM Pawan Chamling reacting to the incident strongly. Chamling termed the incident as unacceptable.
“The state government will do whatever it takes to secure justice for the girl and her family so that their reputation and dignity are not tarnished. I request all the concerned authorities of Visva-Bharati University and the government of West Bengal to take appropriate action for speedy justice so that the dignity of the girl and her family are redeemed. The state government is confident of assistance and cooperation from the concerned authorities,” he said in a statement.
The girl had reported the matter to the Kala Bhavana principal on Tuesday. She was admitted and treated in the varsity hospital for two days.
The absconding fourth accused from Bolpur used to frequent the university campus, police said. “We have clues on his whereabouts. Raids are on. We expect to get more information after interrogating the three accused,” Bolpur SDPO Surya Prasad Yadav said. Yadav said police would meet the varsity doctor where the girl was admitted on Monday. “Medical reports will be the key.”
The three accused were arrested on the basis of an FIR filed by the varsity’s proctor. The FIR was partly prompted by the Sikkim CM’s strong reaction to the incident.
TOI | Sep 1, 2014
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