PIL Filed In SC Seeking CBI Probe Into Sexual Harassment Incidents In Gargi College [Read Petition]

A Public Interest Litigation has been filed at the Supreme Court of India seeking a CBI investigation under the supervision of the Supreme Court into the incident which took place at Gargi College, Delhi University wherein women students were subjected to sexual harassment by unknown intruders.

The petition is filed by Advocate M L Sharma, a serial PIL litigant.

The petition states that during the annual college festival, a horde of middle-aged men entered the campus without any identity proofs and harassed the girls for several hours. Despite multiple complaints, neither the college authority nor the deputed police officials took any action against any of the intruders present.

One of the grounds listed in the petition states that "on the face of facts, it appears that a planned political and criminal conspiracy has been hatched to effect public vote in Delhi election by a political party". There is a claim in the petition that as it appears to be a political conspiracy, it must be investigated under the supervision of the Supreme Court so as to detect, disclose and prosecute the accused persons.

The lack of action on behalf of the police officials as well as the State authorities has been criticised. The petition states that no action has been taken by the State Government which entails tacit protection to the incident and therefore, "in the interest of justice, this Hon'ble Court must take action to protect hundreds of girl students and to provide them justice."

The petition also places the blame on the college administration, the Principal and the Union President, who allegedly did not take any action to curb the mayhem and elicited sexist remarks amounting to moral policing of the students.

The prayer enlisted in the petition is as follows and seeks direction:

"To the CBI to investigate, seize all video, CCTV records surrounding Gargi campus (inside and outside), arrest all accused persons, including political leaders behind this planned criminal conspiracy, and file their report before this Hon'ble Court for further action and prosecution u/S 354 and 376/511 r/w 120-B of IPC to provide complete justice to the girl students who are victims of such heinous crimes."

The petitioner M L Sharma has faced admonishment from the Supreme Court for filing shoddy PILs.

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