Jadavpur University Student Alleges Harassment by SFI Leader; Releases CCTV Footage, Demands Justice

A first-year master's student of Kolkata's Jadavpur University and her friend were allegedly molested by a third-year undergraduate student on Tuesday. The student shared CCTV footage of the incident on social media and recounted her experience in a post. Both she and her friend sent complaint emails to the Vice Chancellor and the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), urging prompt action. She further claimed that the accused is one of the leaders of the Students Federation of India (SFI), a left-wing political organization, and criticised the organisation's response—suspending the accused—as inadequate in addressing the gravity of the situation.

According to one of the victims, on Thursday night, just outside the university gate, the accused allegedly kissed her on the cheek and groped her friend. She also mentioned that the accused misbehaved with some of her juniors who were present at the scene. The entire incident was captured by a CCTV camera installed at the university gate. “I was completely taken aback. He violated my personal space. First, he told me he loved me, then out of nowhere, he kissed me on my cheek and groped my friend. We feel deeply violated,” said the victim.

Following the incident, the accused sent an email to the university authorities requesting the release of the footage. In addition, she filed a complaint with the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) of Jadavpur University, who are currently investigating the matter. “I would urge the authority to take immediate stringent actions regarding this aforementioned scenario. I feel extremely unsafe knowing about the lurking presence of this person in the campus premises, and I am thoroughly worried about the safety of other students as well,” she wrote in her complaint email.

In addition, she distributed leaflets with the headline, "I Was Molested by an SFI Leader." She accused SFI of repeatedly shielding its members accused of harassment and attempting to cover up their offenses. "They claim the accused has been suspended only after the crime came to light, but is suspension really enough as punishment?" she questioned.

The Vice Chancellor of Jadavpur University, Bhaskar Gupta, emphasized that the university is taking proactive measures to address such issues. He assured that prompt action would be taken based on the recommendations of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). “We are committed to ensuring a conducive environment for our students. This particular incident has been brought to my attention, and we are taking steps to address it. It is unfortunate, but we will ensure appropriate actions are taken. We have installed CCTV cameras, floodlights, and deployed an evening patrol team to prevent such incidents from occurring,” said the Vice Chancellor. “We will tackle the problem, however if the need arises we might have to involve the police,” he added.

Parth Pratim Ray, Secretary of the Jadavpur University Teachers Association, raised concerns about security on campus, pointing out areas where alcohol is freely consumed, at times leading to disturbing incidents. He mentioned that even the evening patrolling team, as well as teachers and professors, have faced uncomfortable situations. "We have written to the authorities urging them to take prompt action to address the broader security issues on campus," Ray said.

In the aftermath of the incident, the Students Federation of India (SFI), the left-wing student organisation to which the accused is claimed to belong, released a statement claiming that the individual had been suspended from the organisation days before the incident. They urged university authorities to take stringent action against him. However, many have viewed this suspension with skepticism, questioning the timing, as it occurred just days before the incident. Several students, including the victim, have described the suspension as an afterthought and inadequate in addressing the seriousness of the situation.​