On Wednesday, 21st August, a disturbing event came to the fore that has sent shock waves across the Cachar district in Assam. A female student from Assam University was sexually harassed by an autorickshaw driver on her way home from college. The terrifying incident happened on August 19th while the research scholar student was making her way back to her home in Irongmara village.
The student had just finished her lectures, according to the local reports, when she got into an autorickshaw being driven by a man identified as Badrujaman Farooq. In an unusual request for a passenger, Farooq asked that she take the front seat next to him. The student obeyed even though she was hesitant at first since she didn’t want to cause trouble.
Halfway through a trip, the scenario apparently took a scary turn when Farooq made an effort to harass the student sexually. He allegedly exposed himself in a blatant act, shocking and frightening the student. He unbuttoned his pants displaying his private part in the open. The student quickly responded, jumping from the speeding vehicle and racing away from the spot. Afterwards, she gathered up the courage to notify the university administration about the ordeal and reported the event to the local police.
The student body was swiftly incensed by the occurrence. As a show of support, the student union at the university and other students began a thorough search for the accused. Their efforts paid off on August 20th, the evening of Bakirnagar, Cachar, when Farooq was captured and turned over to the police. He has been held while the legal process is ongoing.
Tensions have increased on the Assam University campus as a result of the incident, and students are calling for the local government to take prompt, decisive action to guarantee everyone’s safety and security. The university community is stressing the need for a safer environment for all students and is pushing for tighter steps to prevent incidents like this in the future.
