Gohana: Two MBBS interns were allegedly molested within a span of just 30 minutes at BPS Govt Medical College in Sonipat’s Khanpur Kalan, on Independence Day night, triggering protests by students.Students demand better lighting, more guards on campus and regular police patrols, especially at night. Education minister Mahipal Dhanda said such incidents targeting female students would not be tolerated and assured that he would speak with chief minister Nayab Singh Saini about strengthening security.Both interns were attacked when they were walking back to their hostels at night after finishing their shifts. According to the police complaint, the first incident occurred around 10.30pm. The intern noticed someone following her, but before she could react, he grabbed her, covered her mouth and molested her. When she fought back and began screaming for help, the molester scampered away.Around 11pm, another trainee doctor was walking from the library towards the hostel when she was molested. The attacker fled when she raised an alarm.Students launched a protest the next day, demanding a safer environment. They said they immediately sought help from the college administration and police but response was slow. A Durga Shakti police team deployed for patrolling reached the campus only around 1am, they say.The students alleged that several stretches between the hostel and library lack adequate lighting and security personnel. At times, a lone guard is deployed across multiple floors and sometimes, guards are absent from duty, they said, alleging that some attendants arrive drunk in the hospital at night, adding to their safety concerns.The students handed over a memorandum of 19 demands to the college administration, including additional lighting and CCTV cameras on campus, round-the-clock security at sensitive locations, verification of all security guards, separate rooms for interns in every ward and an alcohol detector at the main gate.Gohana ACP Devender Singh said a case was registered after the complaint was received and the accused, 28-year-old Deepak, was arrested on Aug 16. A labourer from UP, he was working at a construction site on the medical college campus, police said.Inspector Urmila, SHO of Mahila Thana, said video footage helped zero in on the suspect and that the women had identified him as their attacker. He faces charges of molestation, stalking and assault, and has been remanded in jail.The college administration said it has installed additional lighting and CCTV cameras on campus after the protests.College director Jagdish Chandra Dureja acknowledged the shortage of security personnel and said the administration had sent a demand to the govt for 80 additional security guards, but the decision to increase deployment rests with govt.The college has around 650 students and 120 MBBS interns, while its OPD handles nearly 2,000 patients a day.
