Man enters girls’ hostel at Jamia Milia Islamia, sparks protest

NEW DELHI: An unidentified man, allegedly intoxicated, entered the premises of a girls' hostel at Jamia Millia Islamia on Sunday night, triggering safety concerns among students. Hostel residents staged a protest, demanding accountability from the administration over what they called a serious security lapse. According to students, the man climbed a wall and entered the hostel premises around 8:30 pm. A group of hostel residents spotted him roaming inside and, suspecting he was intoxicated, immediately informed the hostel warden. Security guards were called, and the man was eventually apprehended and handed over to the police. Following the incident, several students staged a sit-in protest, questioning how the breach occurred despite the hostel's curfew of 10 pm. They alleged that the man remained inside the premises for nearly two hours before action was taken.Videos circulating online show a man inside a lawn that students claim belongs to the girls' hostel. In another video, several women can be seen staging a sit-in, urging the hostel warden to fix accountability. The incident drew sharp criticism from student outfits, with the All India Students' Association (AISA) calling it a "major security breach" and accusing the administration of negligence. "Despite the presence of the warden and security staff, this incident was not prevented nor taken seriously as a threat to women's safety," AISA said in a statement. The group also alleged that protesting students were locked out of the hostel gates and their guardians were contacted to "intimidate them into silence". The university administration, however, defended its handling of the situation. "The university was prompt and proactive in dealing with the matter. The man tried to enter the hostel premises, but the guards on duty caught him, and security officials were called in. He was later handed over to the police," a university official said. The students have demanded a thorough investigation into the security lapse and assurances that such incidents will not be repeated.