View source for 2023 IIT-BHU gang rape

{{Short description|2023 gang rape case in Uttar Pradesh, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox civilian attack
| title            = 2023 IIT-BHU gang rape
| location         = [[Varanasi]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], India
| date             = {{start date|df=yes|2023|11|01}}
| map              = {{Location map|India Uttar Pradesh|coordinates={{coord|25.31|N|82.97|E}}}}
| coordinates      = {{coord|25.31|N|82.97|E|display=inline,title}}
| type             = [[Rape]], [[strangling]] (with [[dupatta]])
| numparts         = 3
| accused          = 
| charges          = National Security Act and the UP Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (prevention) act
}}

On 1st November 2023, a 22-year-old [[Bachelor of Technology|B.Tech]] student of [[IIT (BHU) Varanasi|IIT-BHU]] was waylaid, stripped and gang-raped and filmed on gunpoint by 3 members of the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] Youth Wing in  [[Varanasi district]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], India.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-02 |title=IT-BHU Gangrape Case: Students, Civil Society, Political Parties Take to Streets |url=https://www.newsclick.in/it-bhu-gangrape-case-students-civil-society-political-parties-take-streets |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=NewsClick |language=en |archive-date=2024-01-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102121839/https://www.newsclick.in/it-bhu-gangrape-case-students-civil-society-political-parties-take-streets |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=IIT BHU गैंगरेप: बीजेपी IT सेल के तीन नेता गिरफ्तार, बंदूक की नोंक पर छात्रा के कपड़े उतरवाए थे |url=https://www.livehindustan.com/uttar-pradesh/story-3-arrested-for-gang-rape-of-iit-bhu-student-all-three-are-associated-with-bjp-it-cell-made-her-remove-her-clothes-at-gunpoint-9138608.html |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=Hindustan |language=hi |archive-date=2024-01-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102121913/https://www.livehindustan.com/uttar-pradesh/story-3-arrested-for-gang-rape-of-iit-bhu-student-all-three-are-associated-with-bjp-it-cell-made-her-remove-her-clothes-at-gunpoint-9138608.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=IIT-BHU Gangrape: At Least Two of Three Arrested Members of BJP's Varanasi 'IT Cell' |url=https://thewire.in/women/iit-bhu-gangrape-at-least-two-of-three-arrested-members-of-bjps-varanasi-it-cell |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=The Wire |archive-date=2024-01-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240101145237/https://thewire.in/women/iit-bhu-gangrape-at-least-two-of-three-arrested-members-of-bjps-varanasi-it-cell |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=डेस्क |first=एबीपी न्यूज़ |date=2024-01-02 |title=IIT-BHU: 'गन पॉइंट पर उठाकर ले गए, सहमी हुई मिली थी पीड़िता...', चश्मदीद ने बताया |url=https://www.abplive.com/news/india/iit-bhu-gangrape-witness-reveals-what-happened-on-1-november-know-full-story-of-crime-2575125 |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=www.abplive.com |language=hi |archive-date=2024-01-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102035700/https://www.abplive.com/news/india/iit-bhu-gangrape-witness-reveals-what-happened-on-1-november-know-full-story-of-crime-2575125 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Background ==
On 2 November 2023, an explicit video surfaced online showing a student being accosted by three people in the early hours of the morning inside the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) campus.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-01 |title=मेला देखा, शराब पी, गैंगरेप के बाद MP में किया चुनाव प्रचार, IIT BHU मामले में और क्या पता चला? |url=https://www.thelallantop.com/news/post/varanasi-gang-rape-accused-chetganj-ki-nakkatiaya-mp-election-connection |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=The Lallantop |language=hi |archive-date=2024-01-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102141329/https://www.thelallantop.com/news/post/varanasi-gang-rape-accused-chetganj-ki-nakkatiaya-mp-election-connection |url-status=live }}</ref>

The three accused had traveled to [[Madhya Pradesh]] after raping the student on the night of 1 November 2023. According to media reports, when BHU students started protesting after the incident, the suspects felt scared and escaped to Madhya Pradesh and participated in the local campaigning for state elections. Meanwhile, they kept changing locations. They also visited many other cities including Lucknow. Almost two months had passed, and no action had been taken, and all three were now convinced that nothing would happen. After that they returned to Varanasi, police said one of their numbers was monitored and tracked them.<ref>{{Cite web |title=IIT-BHU gangrape case: BJP denies accused 'link' with party |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2024/jan/01/iit-bhu-gangrape-casebjp-denies-accused-link-with-party-2646814.html |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=The New Indian Express|date=January 2024 }}</ref>

== Protest ==
Congress leaders staged a sit-in protest against the [[Government of Uttar Pradesh|Uttar Pradesh government]] in the wake of the alleged rape of a student at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Varanasi (IIT-BHU).<ref>{{Cite web |last=PTI |date=2024-01-02 |title=Congress workers protest against BHU student gang rape in front of PM's office in Varanasi |url=https://theprint.in/india/congress-workers-protest-against-bhu-student-gang-rape-in-front-of-pms-office-in-varanasi/1908292/ |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US |archive-date=2024-01-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102142504/https://theprint.in/india/congress-workers-protest-against-bhu-student-gang-rape-in-front-of-pms-office-in-varanasi/1908292/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The protesters demanded that justice be done to the student and that the accused be punished. There were also clashes between the Congressmen and the police during the protest. [[Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee|UP Congress]] president [[Ajay Rai]] said that a protest would be held against the rape at the IIT Varanasi.<ref>{{Cite web |title=IIT-BHU student gang-rape case: Why no bulldozer action this time, asks Congress |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/iit-bhu-student-gang-rape-case-congress-attacks-bjp-demand-bulldozer-action-2483333-2024-01-02 |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=India Today |date=2 January 2024 |language=en |archive-date=2024-01-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102142030/https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/iit-bhu-student-gang-rape-case-congress-attacks-bjp-demand-bulldozer-action-2483333-2024-01-02 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Congress and [[Samajwadi Party]] have declared their intention to initiate a statewide protest movement regarding this matter. They have expressed their concerns over the silence of both the Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister [[Yogi Adityanath]] on this issue.

[[Amitabh Thakur]], the national president of [[Azad Adhikar Sena]], called for action to be taken against the leaders who shielded the accused. Additionally, prayers were conducted to seek purification for the souls of BJP leaders in Lucknow.<ref>{{Cite web |last=PTI |title=Three arrested for rape of IIT-BHU student, oppn alleges accused linked to BJP |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/uttar-pradesh/three-arrested-for-rape-of-iit-bhu-student-2830631 |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=Deccan Herald |language=en}}</ref>

== Aftermath and Arrests ==
All three accused had fled to Madhya Pradesh after raping the 22-year-old girl on 1 November 2023. In Madhya Pradesh they campaigned for the [[Bharatiya Janata Party, Madhya Pradesh|Bharatiya Janata Party]]. According to media reports, [[Uttar Pradesh Police|Uttar Pradesh police]] tracked down the three suspects within three days but could not arrest them allegedly due to orders from higher authorities. Later, when elections were held in four states, police intervened, and the three suspects were arrested. After the arrest, all three defendants were detained for 12 days. After their arrest, pictures of the accused with key leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party went viral on the social media.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-11-09 |title=After fresh statement, police add gangrape section to IIT-BHU woman sexual assault case |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/lucknow/in-fresh-statement-iit-bhu-woman-student-says-she-was-gangraped-9019787/ |access-date=2024-01-03 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

== Accused bail ==
The fast-track court in Varanasi had earlier rejected the bail petitions of all three accused. High Court has granted bail to two of the accused. The High Court had accepted the bail petitions of Kunal Pandey and Abhishek Chauhan on 4 July and 2 July. The third accused, Saksham Patel was granted bail on 13 November 2024 on the basis of clear past records<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-12-04 |title=IIT-BHU gang rape: Third accused granted bail after 11 months in jail |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/lucknow-news/iitbhu-gang-rape-third-accused-granted-bail-after-11-months-in-jail-101733329662655.html |access-date=2026-02-18 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref>.<ref>{{Cite web |title=IIT-BHU gang rape: Third accused granted bail after 11 months in jail |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/lucknow-news/iitbhu-gang-rape-third-accused-granted-bail-after-11-months-in-jail-101733329662655.html |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=Jagran |language=hi}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Rape in India}}{{DEFAULTSORT:rape, 2023 IIT-BHU gang}}
[[Category:2023 crimes in India]]
[[Category:Gang rape in India]]
[[Category:Incidents of violence against women]]
[[Category:Kidnappings in India]]
[[Category:Kidnapping in the 2020s]]
[[Category:Violence against women in India]]
[[Category:2020s in Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Bharatiya Janata Party of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Rape in the 2020s]]
[[Category:History of Varanasi]]
[[Category:November 2023 in India]]
[[Category:November 2023 crimes in Asia]]
[[Category:Campus sexual assault]]
[[Category:2023 in Indian politics]]
[[Category:Student culture in India]]
[[Category:Filmed crimes]]
[[Category:Bharatiya Janata Party controversies]]