IIT-BHU sexual assault case: Trio arrested nearly 2 months after incident; accused BJP workers, claims Akhilesh Yadav

In the IIT-BHU sexual assault case, police have arrested three persons nearly two months after the crime took place. Interestingly, as per former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, the accused are BJP workers.

Varanasi: Nearly two months after a female student was sexually assaulted and made to take off her clothes inside the IIT-BHU campus, Uttar Pradesh Police Sunday said it has arrested three accused in the case even as former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav claimed the culprits are BJP workers.

The incident had taken place during the intervening night of November 1 and 2. The accused, nabbed with the help of CCTV footage, have been identified as Kunal Pandey, Anand alias Abhishek Chauhan and Saksham Patel. The police also recovered the motorcycle used in the crime.

"These are the new crop of BJP workers who are flourishing and roaming around openly under the patronage of senior BJP leaders, whose search for ostentation is going on in the 'so-called zero tolerance government'. For your information: These are the BJP workers who have received immunity from top BJP leaders, who are accused of crossing the limits of indecency with a student in Banaras Hindu University (BHU). Question: Will the BJP leaders who play with the dignity of women continue to get a free hand?" Akhilesh Yadav posted on Sunday shortly after the three were arrested.

According to reports, two of the suspects Kunal Pandey and Saksham Patel serve on key positions in BJP IT Cell in Varanasi.

What happened on Nov 2?

As per the statement recorded by the victim in her complaint, she was walking inside the campus with a male friend when at around 1:30 am on November 2, three people on a motorcycle started tailing her. The three, as per the victim, then separated her from her friend and took her to a corner while forcibly covering her mouth. They, the victim said in her complaint, forced her to undress and recorded pictures and videos of her while threatening to kill her after she tried to call for help.

The victim was let go after 10-15 minutes. She ran away from the spot and hid at the residence of a professor, who took her to the security officials. Following this incident, there was a massive hue and cry with fierce protests breaking out in the campus for several days. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Praveen Singh pacified the students and assured them that justice would be served soon. Questions were raised regarding the security arrangements on campus and immediate steps to ensure strict safety measures.