Srinagar: A 16 year old Assamese domestic help of a senior scientist from SKUAST, Shuhuma campus in Srinagar was allegedly raped by a local during evening hours on September 13. The news shocked the university authorities and the locals.
Sources told Free Press Kashmir that on September 14, the domestic help had been out of her quarters to hang her clothes when all of a sudden, someone grabbed her jaw, stuffed grass in it, tied her legs and hands and gruesomely raped her. The local, identified as Nazeer Ahmed, then fled the scene. The girl was found later by a passersby who heard a faint sound emitting nearby.
The girl was then ‘bathed’ before she could report it at the local police station, which later led medical reports to merely confirm ‘an attempt to rape’ as evidence had been wiped out, said sources. Following this, police got hold of the victim’s clothes she had donned during the rape and confirmed marks across the cloth.
Nazeer Ahmed is currently being ‘shielded by the locals of the area’ who, after seeing the medical report, said that no such incident had taken place. Ahmed is known to be a drunkard and a frequent visitor to the campus.
Sources also stated that the campus is ‘infested with locals and that the security of the campus are locals as well, which does not amount to much monitoring. Meanwhile, criticism arose as to how the campus society is not regulated and poses a grave threat to the two girl hostels within the campus.
“This could have happened to anybody. It can happen again,” said the Dean of the university, Dr Sarfaraz. “A team of five has already been dispatched from the administration’s side since yesterday and we are working diligently with the police to solve this case.”
However, tensions are galore after the incident prompted the campus to be fenced. The campus is currently embroiled in a land dispute which has led to issues of the step of fencing. Locals have, till now, tried to stop the act and cried foul.
The students of the campus are up in arms about the incident and protesting against it as well. As of now, the Vice Chancellor of the university could not be reached for a comment.
Currently, the girl has gone to the magistrate with the police to identify the culprit, who the administration promises will be punished.
