Another attack on female student rocks JNU campus

IANS/New Delhi

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) was rocked by another incident of attack on a woman when a 22-year-old Spanish language student was allegedly slapped and throttled by a senior who was reportedly obsessed with her, police said yesterday. The accused has been arrested.

Abinandan Verma, who had graduated in Spanish language from the premier university, attacked the woman outside her hostel on Sunday afternoon. The young woman, who hails from Rajasthan, was staying in Shipra Hostel on the JNU campus.

Police said Verma, in his 20s and belonging to Gaya in Bihar, tried to throttle the woman and threatened her. Police said he had also molested the woman.

The victim told the police that she knew Verma for the past several months. The woman said he was obsessed with her.

“On Sunday, he told me he was leaving JNU and wanted to speak to me. We were sitting and talking near the administration block, when suddenly he started abusing me and said he would get me thrown out of the university.

“He slapped me hard and even tried to throttle me. The marks are still there on my throat. He then tried to throw me in front of a car, but I somehow got saved,” the victim said.

The young woman alleged that no one came to help her, though she was screaming loudly for help.

“A security guard who arrived on the scene refused to help. He instead walked off with Verma as he was friends with him,” she added.

Verma used to give her tuitions.

“He used to teach me but after my classes began, I slowly started avoiding him. He got furious with me and two days ago he got drunk and threatened to commit suicide. He also slashed his wrists,” she said.

“He was a member of a students’ political party on the campus. He had been booked in several criminal cases too,” the victim added.

The woman said she had raised the matter at a meeting of the Gender Sensitisation Committee against Sexual Harassment held on the campus on Sunday night and thereafter lodged a case with the police.

“Verma was arrested after the girl’s complaint. He has been booked under sections of molestation and criminal intimidation,” said a senior police officer.