2 weeks Ago
Pune: The first- and second-year students of the department of the three girls who faced harassment on Tuesday night on Savitribai Phule Pune University campus ended their two-day protest at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Bhavan on Friday late evening after pro vice-chancellor Parag Kalkar met them twice, while the accused was remanded in police custody. The court of Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Amol Shinde remanded the freelance graphic designer, Anis Gaikwad (24), in police custody until March 20 for his alleged lewd act near the Marathi Language Bhavan on Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) campus around 9.15pm on Tuesday in front of the three girl students.
The trio were walking from the girls' hostel to the refectory. The students of the girls' department boycotted classes for the second consecutive day on Friday, demanding the removal of the security guards accused of making insensitive remarks. They sought an apology from the vice-chancellor (VC) for the mishandling of the case.
They also expressed concerns about moral policing and the need for systemic reform within the institution. Pro vice-chancellor Kalkar's first meeting on Friday evening with the students urging them to end their protest through dialogue went in vain. He said the ice melted when he returned to meet them for the second time and promised that VC Suresh Gosavi would have a dialogue with them.
During the first meeting, the students had told Kalkar, "We need a cultural and systemic change in the university. Steps must be taken to end moral policing on the campus. We have been sitting here for two days, but the VC has not come to meet us.
When we wanted to talk, officials were unwilling to listen. There is now a void between us. Why did it take two days for the university to file an FIR? What about the insensitive comments made by the VC when we met him.
" Earlier in the day, assistant inspector Narendra Patil of the Chatushringi produced the accused, Gaikwad, before the court and sought a three-day custodial remand. Assistant public prosecutor Vishal Muralikar argued that Gaikwad's interrogation was essential to recover the clothes he was wearing at the time of the incident, determine if he acted on someone's instructions and establish if others were involved. Gaikwad's lawyer, Dilip Shelar, opposed the plea, contending that his client's custodial interrogation was unnecessary because the police made no significant progress in the investigation since his arrest.
Shelar also said that custodial interrogation of his client was not essential to recover clothes because no strong reasons were cited by the police in the remand plea. The court upheld the prosecution's plea after hearing the arguments, citing the gravity of the offence. The court observed that a fair opportunity must be given to the investigating officer to probe the serious charges against Gaikwad, emphasising that his custodial interrogation was necessary for a thorough investigation.
INSET BOX Helpline number launched SPPU on Friday launched a 24x7 security helpline number (020-48553383) to ensure safety and security of all students, faculty, staff and visitors on the varsity campus, pro vice-chancellor Parag Kalkar said. The initiative aims to provide a quick and reliable means for reporting any security-related concerns, emergencies or incidents within the university premises, said the official notification. The helpline will serve as a direct point of contact to report any suspicious activities, seek immediate assistance in case of emergencies, lodge complaints related to safety and security, get support in case of harassment or distress situations and any other security-related issues.
Pune: The first- and second-year students of the department of the three girls who faced harassment on Tuesday night on Savitribai Phule Pune University campus ended their two-day protest at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Bhavan on Friday late evening after pro vice-chancellor Parag Kalkar met them twice, while the accused was remanded in police custody. The court of Judicial Magistrate (First Class) Amol Shinde remanded the freelance graphic designer, Anis Gaikwad (24), in police custody until March 20 for his alleged lewd act near the Marathi Language Bhavan on Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) campus around 9.15pm on Tuesday in front of the three girl students.
The trio were walking from the girls' hostel to the refectory. The students of the girls' department boycotted classes for the second consecutive day on Friday, demanding the removal of the security guards accused of making insensitive remarks. They sought an apology from the vice-chancellor (VC) for the mishandling of the case.
They also expressed concerns about moral policing and the need for systemic reform within the institution. Pro vice-chancellor Kalkar's first meeting on Friday evening with the students urging them to end their protest through dialogue went in vain. He said the ice melted when he returned to meet them for the second time and promised that VC Suresh Gosavi would have a dialogue with them.
During the first meeting, the students had told Kalkar, "We need a cultural and systemic change in the university. Steps must be taken to end moral policing on the campus. We have been sitting here for two days, but the VC has not come to meet us.
When we wanted to talk, officials were unwilling to listen. There is now a void between us. Why did it take two days for the university to file an FIR? What about the insensitive comments made by the VC when we met him.
" Earlier in the day, assistant inspector Narendra Patil of the Chatushringi produced the accused, Gaikwad, before the court and sought a three-day custodial remand. Assistant public prosecutor Vishal Muralikar argued that Gaikwad's interrogation was essential to recover the clothes he was wearing at the time of the incident, determine if he acted on someone's instructions and establish if others were involved. Gaikwad's lawyer, Dilip Shelar, opposed the plea, contending that his client's custodial interrogation was unnecessary because the police made no significant progress in the investigation since his arrest.
Shelar also said that custodial interrogation of his client was not essential to recover clothes because no strong reasons were cited by the police in the remand plea. The court upheld the prosecution's plea after hearing the arguments, citing the gravity of the offence. The court observed that a fair opportunity must be given to the investigating officer to probe the serious charges against Gaikwad, emphasising that his custodial interrogation was necessary for a thorough investigation.
INSET BOX Helpline number launched SPPU on Friday launched a 24x7 security helpline number (020-48553383) to ensure safety and security of all students, faculty, staff and visitors on the varsity campus, pro vice-chancellor Parag Kalkar said. The initiative aims to provide a quick and reliable means for reporting any security-related concerns, emergencies or incidents within the university premises, said the official notification. The helpline will serve as a direct point of contact to report any suspicious activities, seek immediate assistance in case of emergencies, lodge complaints related to safety and security, get support in case of harassment or distress situations and any other security-related issues.
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