Template:Infobox civilian attack
On 1st November 2023, a 22-year-old B.Tech student of 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.[1][2][3][4]
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.[5]
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.[6]
Protest
Congress leaders staged a sit-in protest against the Uttar Pradesh government in the wake of the alleged rape of a student at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Varanasi (IIT-BHU).[7] 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. UP Congress president Ajay Rai said that a protest would be held against the rape at the IIT Varanasi.[8]
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.[9]
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. According to media reports, 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.[10]
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[11].[12]
References
- ↑ IT-BHU Gangrape Case: Students, Civil Society, Political Parties Take to Streets. NewsClick(2024-01-02). Retrieved 2024-01-02.
- ↑ IIT BHU गैंगरेप: बीजेपी IT सेल के तीन नेता गिरफ्तार, बंदूक की नोंक पर छात्रा के कपड़े उतरवाए थे. Hindustan. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
- ↑ IIT-BHU Gangrape: At Least Two of Three Arrested Members of BJP's Varanasi 'IT Cell'. The Wire. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
- ↑ IIT-BHU: 'गन पॉइंट पर उठाकर ले गए, सहमी हुई मिली थी पीड़िता...', चश्मदीद ने बताया, डेस्क, एबीपी न्यूज़. www.abplive.com(2024-01-02). Retrieved 2024-01-02.
- ↑ मेला देखा, शराब पी, गैंगरेप के बाद MP में किया चुनाव प्रचार, IIT BHU मामले में और क्या पता चला?. The Lallantop(2024-01-01). Retrieved 2024-01-02.
- ↑ IIT-BHU gangrape case: BJP denies accused 'link' with party. The New Indian Express(January 2024). Retrieved 2024-01-03.
- ↑ Congress workers protest against BHU student gang rape in front of PM's office in Varanasi, PTI. ThePrint(2024-01-02). Retrieved 2024-01-02.
- ↑ IIT-BHU student gang-rape case: Why no bulldozer action this time, asks Congress. India Today(2 January 2024). Retrieved 2024-01-02.
- ↑ Three arrested for rape of IIT-BHU student, oppn alleges accused linked to BJP, PTI. Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
- ↑ After fresh statement, police add gangrape section to IIT-BHU woman sexual assault case. The Indian Express(2023-11-09). Retrieved 2024-01-03.
- ↑ IIT-BHU gang rape: Third accused granted bail after 11 months in jail. Hindustan Times(2024-12-04). Retrieved 2026-02-18.
- ↑ IIT-BHU gang rape: Third accused granted bail after 11 months in jail. Jagran. Retrieved 2024-09-05.