Varanasi, 03 Jan: The three suspects in the IIT-BHU sexual assault case are said to have informed police during interrogation that they were engaged in three previous incidences of molestation on campus and that they would visit the premises on a regular basis, apparently looking for “opportunities.”
An assessment of their call detail records confirmed this, revealing their frequent presence on campus between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., officers participating in the inquiry reported.
Kunal Pandey (28), Saksham Patel (20), and Abhishek Chauhan (22) were detained on Saturday by Varanasi police for the crime, which occurred on the night of November 1. According to sources, a similar scenario had been reported to the Proctor’s office two days before this occurrence.
However, police stated that they had only received one complaint ? from the woman who was targeted in the November 1 event. The phones of the three men have been submitted to a forensic science laboratory for images, videos, and text messages to be recovered. The woman claimed in her complaint that the accused had recorded the sexual assault.
“We did not find any such videos or photographs; those may have been deleted,” a police official added.
“During interrogation, the three confessed that they had molested three others on campus premises in the past, including one on October 30.” The Dean of the institute acknowledged that the Proctor’s office had received a complaint about the October 30 event and that action was being taken.
Patel and Chauhan reside 300 meters apart in Varanasi’s Bajardiha neighborhood, while Pandey lives nearly a kilometer distant. The BHU campus is around three kilometers away from their dwellings.
According to an official, authorities acquired CCTV video from around campus shortly after the event. We examined multiple tapes and identified prospective suspects, according to the officer. Because their initial photographs were hazy, we acquired further footage. Clear images assisted in identifying males, and their activities were traced over the course of many days. We found they were on campus at BHU between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m.
For proof, the victim was provided crisper images. “Police also collected photographs from their SIM card application forms and spoke with individuals near their homes and campus to verify their movements,” the officer explained.
“We initiated a manhunt when the victim verified their identities. However, the accused had already relocated to an unspecified destination. Intermittent phone use made location tracking difficult,” he added.
Police apprehended the individuals on December 31, based on a tip. According to a local police official in Varanasi, the suspects first denied their participation in the crime. However, after thorough interrogation, they confessed. We also showed them a snapshot taken by a CCTV camera the night of the incident.
During questioning, the men are said to have informed authorities that they lingered in Varanasi for a week following the event before fleeing as student protests grew more intense. They returned to Varanasi around 15 days ago, hoping the situation had calmed down, according to the officer.
They first hid in numerous areas across the city. They eventually began to feel comfortable enough to return to their own houses. The males have been booked under many provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including rape.
Pandey and Patel declare on their Facebook accounts that they are members of the BJP.
Varanasi Commissioner Mutha Ashok Jain and other police officials declined to comment on the case or the inquiry. “The chapter is closed for us. We have apprehended the accused,” Jain added.
The three are no longer members of the BJP IT cell in Varanasi, according to BJP Varanasi (Mahanagar) president Vidyasagar. “They held office until November. However, the IT cell was disbanded in November and has not been re-established since,” Rai explained.
