IIT Madras 'mentally unstable' graduate enters girls hostel in burqa; arrested

Reportedly, Rohan Lal, an IIT Madras graduate, who is mentally unstable entered the girl's hostel in burqa to meet the girl he liked.

Rohan Lal, an IIT Madras graduate, wore a burqa and sneaked into the girls' hostel to meet a girl he liked. The Kottupuram police on Monday arrested him.

He hails from Uttar Pradesh and has been arrested twice earlier in February and August 2023. Rohan graduated in Electrical Engineering with an MS degree and was not caught for the first time for such an action, as reported by Free Press Journal.

As per reports, the security woman of the hostel caught him sneaking into the hostel, after which he threatened to jump from the fifth floor. According to reports, Rohan was arrested at Sriram Nagar Colony Junction and was taken to the Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Saidapet before his judicial custody.

His mental health issues were found after his arrest in August 2023, when his parents were told to consult a doctor. 

The students of Sabarmati Hostel have also complained about the lack of transparency over the break-ins and demanded security measures which don't infringe on girl students' privacy.

The students have demanded to improve the security in the hostel and not restrict the freedom of female students or their access to academic facilities.

"We demand the security of the hostels to be improved but improving the security of the hostel should not restrict the freedom of movement of students, especially girl students or their access to academic facilities. It is the perpetrators who should be controlled, not the students. Previously, the Krishna gate was closed down in 2019 without consulting with students or the day scholars and workers accessing the gate in the name of safety of girl students living in the Tunga hostel. We believe such measures did not bring the intended results other than restricting the movement of students. Students from the Sabarmati hostel have complained about the lack of transparency on the passing of information regarding the break-in," said ChintaBar, an independent student body of IIT Madras.  

Chintabar demands that the security section take appropriate measures such that the same perpetrator is not able to enter the campus and increase the number of security personnel and CCTV cameras near the hostels in such a manner that it does not affect the day-to-day activities of the residents or their privacy. We also demand proactive communication from the administration to the students when such incidents happen. The institute administration and the student representatives should actively follow up on the legal process to make sure the perpetrator is punished.

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