Mangalore University students stage protest over man’s ‘misbehaviour’

Students of Mangalore University staged a snap protest on the Mangalagangotri campus on Thursday alleging that a man on a motorcycle had misbehaved with some women students on Wednesday and the university had not taken the matter seriously.

They demanded security for women on campus. The students said the incident took place when some students were returning to their hostel on Wednesday evening. Though they filed a complaint with the Registrar (Administration), the university failed to respond immediately, they alleged.

The students boycotted classes and protested in front of the administration block. They demanded that the authorities watch footage from the CCTV cameras and initiate legal action against the man responsible.

Following the protest, Assistant Commissioner of Police (South) Rama Rao held a meeting with the Registrar (Administration), faculty and students’ representatives.

Acting Vice-Chancellor Kishor Kumar C.K. told The Hindu that according to the complaint from the students, a man on a motorcycle had stared at the women students, who were taking a short-cut to the hotel from the campus, and used vulgar words at them. He said the spot did not have CCTV cameras as it was a wooded area. But the university is verifying footage from other CCTV cameras installed nearby, including the main roads, and has filed a complaint with the Konaje police, he added.

This is the second time in recent years that security concerns of women students on the campus have emerged. There were similar concerns when an incident of voyeurism was reported on campus in August ,2016. An M.Sc. student was arrested back then for allegedly placing a mobile phone with a camera in the women’s washroom. A day after he was arrested, the student, Santosh M., was granted bail by a local magistrate court.