A delegation of the state women’s commission led by its chairperson Dilmani Mishra visited Patna Law College and enquired about girl students not turning up for studies out of fear.

The Telegraph had reported in its October 3 edition how 22 fifth semester girl students have stopped going to Law College fearing campus violence.

The students are not attending classes since September 26, after two groups clashed over an eve-teasing incident on the campus.

The girl students have informed the principal about the incident but, out of fear, nobody has lodged a written complaint against those behind the eve-teasing incident.

On Thursday morning, the women’s panel head visited the college and spoke to the college principal to know more about the incident.

She went through the attendance register of fifth semester students and found that the girls had indeed been skipping classes for the past 10 days.

Dilmani said: “I even spoke to a girl student. She was tense. She said some third semester students had threatened them after which they stopped coming to college.”

The Telegraph report published on Oct. 3, 2018

The state women’s commission chairman then issued necessary instructions to college principal Mohammad Sharif to upgrade security on the campus and install closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras. Instructions were also given to make I-cards mandatory for students.

“The students and the college administration have provided some details about upgrading security arrangement within the campus, such as deployment of police force at the college gate and setting up of police pickets in Golakpur area where Patna Law College and Patna University hostels are located,” Dilmani said.

“We will write to director-general of police (DGP) Krishna Swaroop Dwivedi to upgrade security on the campus.”

Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manu Mahaaraaj took cognizance of media reports and spoke to college principal Sharif and assured him security.

Following the assurance from the police, the college principal spoke to the girl students, asking them to return and attend classes.

“Unless and until there is adequate security on the campus we will not attend class,” a fifth semester college student said on the condition of anonymity.

On the instructions of senior officers, Sultanganj police on Thursday carried out patrolling in Golakpur area.

“I personally visited the campus to assess the security arrangement there,” Sultanganj police station house officer (SHO) Dinesh Chandra Srivastva said. “We can provide security but we cannot compel students to attend class.”