Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu: On Thursday, October 9, Central University of Pondicherry witnessed raging protests, seeking fair investigation into the sexual harassment complaints raised against a faculty on the main campus. Led by students affiliated with the Students Federation of India (SFI), the protest led to the detention of several students by the officials.

The detention of students has caused massive rage against the administration. The university has rebutted allegations of sexual harassment against the faculty in question, as the instruction statement claimed that its investigation found that the allegations were not true.

Read Also: Former Kalakshetra Professor Sheejith Krishna Arrested On Charges Of Sexual Assault

“The allegations were based on an old audio file. The University has a robust mechanism to address any concern a student might have. The institution has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual harassment cases,” an official press release said.

However, the students launched a fierce protest which raged on the main campus on Thursday. The administration called the police, leading to the arrest of at least ten students.

Seeking the reconstitution of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) as they felt that the existing panel was unable to render “justice” to survivors of sexual harassment on the campus.

Read Also: Journalist Dhanya Rajendran Selected For Prof. Maxwell Fernandes Journalism Award

The National Students’ Union of India has issued a statement condemning the undemocratic action, while opining that the detention of students and violent reaction of the police are direct violation of students’ rights and democratic principles.

The NSUI demanded the immediate release of the detained students, freedom for peaceful protest, and an end to police interference in university affairs in its statement issued on Friday.