Ahmedabad: A student of the Central University of Gujarat faced a caste-based attack on its hostel premises recently, alleged the Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC). They further alleged that the student’s complaints registered with senior university authorities more than a week ago have received no response. The victim is an FYBA student of social management living in Sabarmati Hostel on the university’s Kundhela campus in Vadodara, the GPCC members said. “In his complaint given to the varsity, he alleged that at 11pm on Jan 26, a group of over 30 students gathered outside his hostel room, assaulted him and hurled caste-based abuses at him in public. He said that security guards and hostel caretakers were present on the campus at the time of the incident,” said Congress spokesperson Parthivraj Kathwadia.The GPCC questioned both, the university administration and the state govt, regarding student safety and accountability on campus. Kathwadia asked how such a large group of students could enter the hostel premises after 10pm, citing hostel rules that prohibit late-night entry.The Congress alleged that the student had sent emails detailing the incident to the university provost, vice-chancellor, dean and the anti-ragging committee helpline soon after it occurred. “Despite these complaints, no disciplinary or legal action was initiated even after more than a week, prompting the student to raise the issue publicly,” said Kathwadia.Kathwadia also pointed to the presence of CCTV cameras near the site of the alleged assault and claimed that available footage had not been acted upon. He further alleged that the student was being questioned “as if he were the accused”, rather than being treated as a victim. The Congress demanded clarity on whether the case would be pursued under anti-ragging provisions and/or the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
