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A 20-year-old woman interning at IIT Madras was allegedly assaulted by a food court worker on campus on the night of Wednesday, June 25. The accused, Roshan Kumar, has been arrested and booked under Section 75 (sexual harassment) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and relevant provisions of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Woman Act.
According to the FIR filed at the J4 Kotturpuram police station, the incident took place around 9.18 pm behind the Open Air Theatre. The accused, employed at ‘Mumbai Chaat’ within the Isthara Food Court at IIT, allegedly took leave from work citing illness but remained on campus. He then allegedly approached the woman, who was walking alone, brandishing a stick and attempted to assault her. She fled and alerted campus security. When she returned with two security personnel, Roshan had allegedly fled the scene.
The woman filed a formal complaint the next afternoon, following which the Assistant Commissioner and inspectors from the All Women Police Station conducted an inquiry. The accused was located, taken into custody, and is currently being interrogated at the Kotturpuram Police Station.
The incident comes months after a similar case at Anna University, where a 19-year-old student was sexually assaulted in December 2024. That case drew widespread outrage. On May 28, 2025, a Mahila Court convicted 37-year-old Gnanasekaran on 11 counts, sentencing him to life imprisonment for a minimum of 30 years without remission, along with a substantial fine.