Mysuru gang-rape: Order banning girls’ movement in campus withdrawn

Days after the gang-rape of an MBA student in Mysuru, the Mysore University, on Saturday, issued a circular for the university students. The circular prohibited female student movement in the Mansangotriya campus after 6:30 pm in the evening. However, hours after the circular was issued, Karnataka Minister for Higher Education, Dr CN Ashwathnarayan said that he has informed the VCs to withdraw the order.

“In the wake of tragic incident in Mysore, I informed VCs to withdraw the order as soon as circular issued by University of Mysore forbidding student movement at university campus after 6.30 pm. Accordingly, it was withdrawn,” news agency ANI quoted Dr CN Ashwathnarayan as saying.

As per media reports, a similar order was also issued barring the students’ entry to the Kukkarahalli Lake campus after 6:30 pm.

The earlier order, banning student movement, was issued “on the verbal direction of the police department”, the university said. It added that extra security personnel would also be patrolling the campus between 6 pm and 9 pm every day.

The circular drew ire from students and leaders alike as it had come on the backdrop of Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra’s comment.

“Around 7-7:30 pm (on Tuesday) they (the victim and male friend) had gone there. It is a deserted place, they should not have gone.. but we can’t stop anyone from going, they have gone. It is a deserted place and no one usually goes there as no one will be there,” Jnanendra had said.

Meanwhile, five labourers allegedly involved in the gang-rape were arrested, Karnataka DG and IGP Praveen Sood said. The five, who frequented Mysuru often, are from “labour class” doing jobs like carpentry and driving, he said, adding, they hailed from Tirupur in Tamil Nadu, PTI reported.

“As per preliminary interrogation, one of them is a juvenile — a 17-year-old — subject to confirmation.”

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They initially tried to rob the college student and her male friend and when they did not succeed, they allegedly raped her near Chamundi foothills on the outskirts of Mysuru on August 24, police sources said.

Sood said the victim did not share any details.

“We have to be sensitive to the trauma she is suffering”, he said, adding, police could gather information from her male friend but it was “limited” as he was unconscious and the incident happened between 7 pm and 8 pm (when it was dark).