Mumbai: City's safety check put to test as cop molests IIT Bombay student in Sanpada; bail denied

Mumbai: A student of IIT-Bombay was allegedly molested by a police constable on Navi Mumbai’s Palm Beach Road on Friday morning when she was walking outside a housing society at Sanpada with a batchmate.

The local police station then refused to lodge a complaint. Eventually, the Dean of Student Affairs at IIT-B intervened and got a complaint filed at the Powai police station in Mumbai.

According to the first information report, the two students were walking on the street at around 03:15 am when a constable from the Sanpada police station stopped them.

The policeman questioned the students for being out so late and asked for their mobile numbers. When the students refused to share their details, he allegedly molested the young woman.

The two teenagers were reportedly strolling around while waiting for the local trains to resume at 4am so they could return to their hostels.

After the incident, they tried to report the matter at the Sanpada police station, but the sub-inspector on duty refused to make a note of the complaint.

The FIR lodged at the Powai police station was then transferred to Sanpada and the constable and sub-inspector concerned were arrested. According to a Navi Mumbai Police officer, the constable has been denied bail.

“The incident occurred off-campus, so bringing the students justice is in the hands of the police,” said a professor. “IIT, however, will provide the students all the counselling, confidentiality, and support they need to get over the trauma.”