The Delhi High Court has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report concerning an incident in which women students of Delhi University were allegedly filmed without their consent while changing costumes in a washroom.
The court has also directed the Delhi Police to provide a status report detailing the actions taken against the individuals involved in the incident.
A division bench of Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula mandated that the Delhi Police submit a status report within two weeks outlining the measures taken against the accused linked to the incident at IIT-D on October 6, 2023.
The court emphasized that the Investigating Officer (IO) should handle the case with utmost discretion to safeguard the anonymity of the affected women. Immediate steps must be taken to prevent the dissemination of any photographs or videos captured by the accused. If such content is circulated on social media platforms, the Deputy Commissioner of Police and the IO are instructed to promptly take action for its removal in accordance with the law.
Additionally, the court directed universities to submit reports detailing their existing security policies during college festivals held on their premises. The court’s decision was prompted by a newspaper article published on October 9, 2023, titled “Harassment at college fests leaves students anguished, shaken.” The article highlighted security lapses during annual college festivals organized by universities in the state, resulting in injuries, violations, and trauma for attending students.
The specific incident mentioned in the report occurred during the Rendezvous festival organized by the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IIT-D) on October 6, 2023. During a fashion show event, students from Bharati College, University of Delhi, reported the unauthorized filming of their costume changes in a washroom. After reviewing CCTV footage, the individual responsible was identified as a member of IIT-D’s housekeeping staff. This incident has understandably left the victims distressed and concerned about the potential misuse of the videos, including their circulation on social media platforms.
The court expressed its concern over multiple cases of student harassment and noted serious security deficiencies in the design and implementation of security measures at university-organized college festivals. The court emphasized the need for robust security measures to allow students to attend such events without fear of violation. Consequently, the court decided to take suo motu cognizance of security breaches, particularly those affecting female attendees, at college and university festivals in Delhi-NCR.
