Following a preliminary report from the state-appointed committee investigating the rape and murder of a 19-year-old woman at Savitribai Phule women’s hostel, the warden has been suspended on Friday. The preliminary report, as highlighted by Chandrakant Patil, Minister of Higher and Technical Education, has revealed negligence on the part of the warden-led hostel administration.

Patil emphasised that the government has taken this incident seriously. “Two committees were formed, one being a single-member committee led by Dr Nipun Vinayak, the state project director of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), to investigate the incident at Savitribai Phule women’s hostel. The other committee, headed by myself, was tasked with conducting an audit and reviewing security at the hostels. Based on the preliminary report from Dr Vinayak’s committee, the hostel warden has been suspended,” Patil announced on Friday evening.