LAHORE:
Protests erupted across the campuses of a group of colleges on October 14 over reports of the rape of a first-year student by a security guard.
The incident had taken place on October 11 at the Gulberg campus, where a college bus driver had allegedly tricked the victim into the basement, where she was assaulted by a security guard, according to protesting students.
The matter came to light when a lecturer inquired about the victim’s absence. Her friends reached out to the girl’s parents who revealed that their daughter had allegedly been raped by the guard. The students claim that the victim’s condition had deteriorated after the incident and she had been discreetly taken out of the college.
Students took to the social media to expose the alleged crime, leading to large-scale demonstrations outside the Punjab College campuses. The protesters accused the college administration of attempting to cover up the incident. They claimed that the principal had deleted the CCTV footage of the incident and that the police and security guards had violently suppressed the protests.
Rescue 1122 confirmed that at least 27 students had suffered injuries during the protests. Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat met the protesting students.
The minister announced that the registration of the Punjab College for Women, Gulberg campus, had been suspended and that the case would be thoroughly investigated.
While addressing the media, DIG Operations Faisal Kamran said the police had arrested a college security guard from Sargodha for questioning, but the victim had not been identified. The official said the police had not found any hospital record or CCTV footage to corroborate the charges.
Punjab Governor Sardar Salim Haider expressed concern over the matter.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said no college girl had reported the incident to the police so far.
An official of the college said, “Despite the lack of credible evidence supporting these allegations, we remain fully committed to transparency and will continue to work closely with the authorities to ensure a fair and thorough process.”
News published in the Express Tribune on 15th October 2024
