A female student at Panjab University (PU) was allegedly harassed by two drunk men in an SUV (Mahindra Thar) near the Sector 15 market on Sunday night. The incident came to light after a video of it went viral on social media. Though the video does not mention the time or location, a person known to the victim confirmed that the incident took place in the Sector 15 market on Sunday night and that the victim is a PU student. No FIR has been registered so far, as police officials said they are waiting for the victim to file a complaint.
The viral video shows the woman confronting the accused for making explicit gestures and harassing her. She asked them to repeat their actions while she recorded them. One of the men can be heard saying that he should step out of the vehicle, after which the woman told him to leave.
The person known to the victim said the accused were drunk and had also tried to touch her. The accused allegedly harassed two other women on the same night.
Police officials said they would register an FIR upon receiving a complaint. “The vehicle bears a Mohali registration number. The accused will be traced once the victim files a complaint,” an official said.
The Sector 15 market is frequented by a large number of female students from PU and the government colleges in Sector 11. There have been several previous instances of women being sexually harassed in this area.
Another female student at PU, requesting anonymity, said the Sector 15 episode was extremely disturbing. “Harassment has become so normalised in our society that people often fail to recognise it as a crime. Even a 24/7 open campus does not feel truly safe for women at night,” she added.