Few lessons seem to have been learnt from Saturday’s incident at the National Institute of Fashion Technology — barely three days after a nightmarish security breach at the hostel, another was reported at the same institute on Tuesday night.
Students of the centrally-funded institute said a man had trespassed into their campus late on Tuesday and nearly reached the girls’ hostel. Fortunately, he was discovered soon enough, chased out and handed over to the police.
Recounting the scare, a student said: “It was around 11 p.m. and we were all in our rooms. We heard some noise outside and saw that the lady guards and their male counterparts were running after a man with torches and sticks. When we tried asking them what happened, the guards brushed aside all questions and asked us to return to our rooms.”
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Not convinced with the answer, the restless girls ran towards the main entrance and found a man, aged around 25, lying on the ground. “He was acting drunk and [semi-conscious]. Soon, the director [of NIFT] and others took him away to the police station,” the student said.
Through some enquiry of their own, the students found out that the man had jumped into the HSR Layout campus through an area with a low fence. He reached the volleyball court, which is a stone’s throw from the two girls’ hostel blocks.
The HSR Layout police have arrested Venugopal, a tailor, and remanded him in judicial custody.
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According to the police, the accused claimed he was following a girl.
On Wednesday, the students staged a protest against the “apathy” of the authorities in ensuring safety of students. “The only measure they have taken after Saturday’s incident is to install some lighting around the hostel,” said an angry student.
On Saturday night, a cook from the NIFT canteen, allegedly drunk, caused mayhem in the same hostel, even physically assaulting at least three girls.