Now, PGGC-11 girl harassed

Ishrat S Banwait

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 14

Almost 10 days after Varnika Kundu was stalked, a case of harassment of a girl student at Post Graduate Government College (PGGC), Sector 11, in broad daylight has come to light.

On Sunday, a student of Master’s in Physical Education, was passing from near the college ground when two of her classmates, Avish Kamboj and Shailendra Gill, allegedly passed lewd comments at her. Avish is the college president of INSO. The police today arrested the duo under preventive measures.

 The victim was with one of her friends at that time and both got into an argument with a group of boys standing with the accused. The victim claimed that during the argument, the accused abused her and told her that they would “thrash her”. In the meantime, a group of boys playing volleyball nearby started commenting and hooting.

 The victim was embarrassed and left the spot. After consulting her hostel warden, the victim approached the police and got a complaint registered. However, no action was taken by the college authorities or the police till this morning, following which members of PUSU, whom the girl supported, staged a protest outside the Principal’s office.

Sensing trouble, the local police took both accused under preventive arrest.

 Members of INSO also held a protest saying the matter had been blown out of proportion by PUSU and that their president was being falsely implicated. Virendra Kairon, who answered Kamboj’s phone, said, “Both of them have been taken for a medical examination by the police; what started as an argument has been converted into something else.”

 Kairon said last year the girl had an argument with the accused after he clicked her photograph without permission. They were not on talking terms since then. However, on Sunday evening, the victim and the accused got into an argument.  SHO of the Sector 11 police station Lakhvir Singh said, “The complaint mentioned ‘hooting and commenting’ by two boys and we have arrested them under preventive measures. They will be produced before the SDM tomorrow”. Principal of the college JK Sehgal was not available for comments. 

‘Come with torn clothes for FIR’ 

The brother of the victim has claimed that the police did not register an FIR despite repeated attempts. He said, “My sister asked a policeman to register an FIR, but he said he would do so if she approached them with torn clothes”.