CHENNAI: In the light of a sexual assault complaint filed by a 22-year-old student of IIT-Madras against a security guard on campus, director Bhaskar Ramamurthi said the institute was doing everything it could to co-operate with the ongoing police investigation. The guard has now been remanded in judicial custody .
"The institute has been involved right from the time the incident happened. Within a few hours of incident, the institute approached police and filed the complaint once the student had consented to give the complaint," he said.However, most students and staff seemed unaware of the incident even a week after it occurred.
The incident occurred around 4am on January 9 when the girl was walking alone towards the Velachery gate of the institute. According to police, the accused, Mustafa Ahmed, 21, from Assam, grabbed her from behind, and tried to pin her down. In defence, the girl hit him in the groin and ran away.
The director said the girl had gone towards the gate to receive someone when she was assaulted. She cried out aloud, police said.
"The security guard was a patrolling guard from a private agency. While we have permanent security staff, they are mostly at the supervisory level while others are hired on contract from agencies since we require many guards at the large campus," the director said.
"The institute over the last few years has gone by the set norms for hiring se curity from private agencies. Police are investigating into that aspect as well," he said.
CCTV cameras at the gate did not capture the assault as it took place in a dark patch on the path leading towards the gate.