The Supreme Court today has refused to entertain a petition which sought for a CBI probe into the alleged incidents of molestation of students, during a cultural festival at all-women Gargi College in Delhi.
A bench comprising of Chief Justice S A Bobde, Justices B R Gavai, and Surya Kant while stating to have an advantage of Delhi High Court’s view in the matter directed the petitioner to first approach the HC. The court further observed that if the High Court dismisses the plea, then the petitioner could approach the apex court.
While the petitioner’s counsel, ML Sharma who had sought a direction to the probe agency to seize all video recordings and CCTV camera footage of the college campus expressed his concern that the electronic evidence related to the case might tamper. To this, the court asserted that “the Delhi High Court can also pass order like the Telangana High Court in the police encounter case to preserve electronic evidence.”
As per sources, on 6 February, a group of men broke into Gargi College during the ‘Riverie’ fest and allegedly groped, harassed and molested the attendees. Subsequently, through the present plea, the petitioner has alleged that it was a planned political and criminal conspiracy hatched in the backdrop of the Delhi elections and since 6 February, no action has been taken against the accused.
As per police officials, the accused jumped over the barricades placed by the college security staff outnumbered them and then misbehaved with the women students.
Accordingly, on 12 February, around 10 people in connection with the incident were arrested and charged under sections 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
