In another case of growing attacks on women in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, some unidentified miscreants attacked the girls’ hostel of Central University in Dharamshala.

The miscreants pelted stones at the windows of the hostel at midnight. All this happened at Shyam Nagar, just 500 meters away from the Dharamshala police station.

Advertisement

According to sources, the incident took place at 12:30 a.m. The warden of the hostel was not present there at the time of the incident. When the students telephoned the warden she asked them to sleep and said she would discuss the matter the next day.

Harshita, who is pursuing her masters said, “I was studying in my room and my two room-mates were asleep. All of a sudden, a stone was thrown from outside, that broke the window pane and entered the room. I heard voices of a group of boys outside. They ran away after pelting stones. My roomates were unhurt as they were sleeping with quilts over them”.

“I was sleeping. A loud noise woke me up and I saw broken pieces of glass all over me,” said Priya Naggar, an M.A. second year student.

The residents of the hostel accused the authorities of turning a deaf ear to their complaints, as such attacks had happened previously also, which were brought to their notice.

“Many a times these miscreants create nuisance and pass lewd comments on girls outside the hostel,” said an M.A. fourth semester student. “We called the police at night, they came and inspected the scene.

We asked them to register an FIR. The next morning we went to the police station only to find that the FIR was not registered, instead a general diary was lodged,” claimed another student.

“Nothing big has happened. We have registered a report, its same as an FIR,” said SHO Dharamshala, Sunil Rana. The students of university protested outside the hostel and demanded the authorities to register an FIR.

“I have directed the university authorities to give me a written complaint for FIR,” said SP Kangra, Santosh Patial.

The students complained that their hostel is located in a remote area and the building doesn’t have any CCTV camera. Even street lights are not there.

It is very difficult to roam about in this area in the evening. Boys taking drugs, alcohol and smoking can be seen on the way to hostel , they rued.