Guwahati (Assam),
September 29: Utsav Kadam, a student of IIT Guwahati, who is accused of rape
of a female fellow student, was expelled from the institution. An IIT official in
a report said that the accused was guilty of gross indiscipline and had violated
the students’ code of conduct which had to be strictly dealt with by the
institute.
Earlier, Gauhati
High Court had granted bail to the main accused for a bond of ₹30,000 and on condition
that he cannot leave Kamrup district without informing; adding that both the
youth - the accused and the survivor - are the "state's future
assets".
The 21-year-old
Utsav Kadam, a BTech student, allegedly made a 19-year-old woman from the same
institute drink alcohol forcibly and then raped her. Following this, the
police arrested the accused student for the sexual assault against the victim.
The rape survivor
was not happy and said that she felt sidelined after the High Court had granted
bail to the accused calling him a 'future asset’. She had said that she is feeling threatened
because people think the accused is innocent since he got bail.
Soon after
the March 28 rape incident, a single-judge bench of Justice Ajit Borthakur, in his
judgment had said there is enough evidence against the accused. "On
hearing the learned counsel for both sides with reference to the relevant
documents such as FIR, medical report and statements... there is a clear prima
facie case as alleged against the accused petitioner."
On September
3, the DOSA (The Dean of Students Affairs) updated the Senate about the final
recommendation of the students' disciplinary committee (SDC) meeting and has
decided to terminate the student from the institute.
However, the
case became famous due to the ruling of the court while deciding on the bail
application had said, "Investigation in the case is completed and both the
informant/victim girl and the accused are the state's future assets being
talented students pursuing technical courses at the IIT Guwahati, who are young
in the age group of 19 to 21 years only and further, they are being hailed from
two different states, continuation of detention of the accused in the interest
of trial of the case, if charges are framed, may not be necessary," and
granted bail to the accused.