Mumbai Hostel Rape-Murder: State Gives Nod To Install CCTVs At 27 Hostels To Heighten Security

Mumbai: Five months after a student was raped and murdered at a government-run hostel in south Mumbai, the state has approved installing CCTV cameras in 27 hostels across the state.

An amount of Rs 3.85 crore has been earmarked for these hostels, which are run by the state Directorate of Higher Education, as they lack adequate surveillance. The government has also approved hiring staff for vacant posts at the hostel through the labour department.

About Mumbai Hostel Horror

Savitridevi Phule Women’s Hostel at Charni Road made news in June after an 18-year-old student was allegedly raped and murdered by a long-time staffer. An inquiry into the incident found that the facility didn’t have CCTV coverage except at the entrance. The staffer was also appointed without government approval, the probe revealed.

Two probe committees appointed in the aftermath of the incident underlined the need for beefing up security at government hostels across the state by equipping them with CCTV cameras, filling up vacant positions and employing at least one female security guard at each premises.

The government has also allocated Rs89 crore to construct an eight-storeyed structure in place of the existing women’s dormitory, which has been lying in a dilapidated condition for the past several years. The hostel was evacuated after the incident and the students were shifted to other facilities.