Sanitary worker held for harassing varsity student

A 28-year-old sanitation worker was Friday arrested for the alleged sexual harassment of a woman student of SRM University following a complaint by the varsity, the police said.

The students had Thursday protested inside the university, located at Kattankulathur on the outskirts of Chennai, alleging inaction on the part of the administration despite the victim's complaint.

University Vice-Chancellor Sandeep Sancheti, however, denied the allegations.

According to a student, the victim, a second-year undergraduate, was sexually harassed inside the women's hostel lift at around 3 pm Thursday.

"The man masturbated in front of the student in the hostel lift, following which she reported the issue to the hostel warden," the student, who did not wish to be identified, said.

However, the hostel warden brushed her concern aside and instead indulged in victim-shaming by questioning the clothes that the victim was wearing, the student, who took part in the protest, said.

Soon, the information spread across the campus triggering a massive protest, videos and pictures of which went viral on the social media.