A Wave of Protests
Multiple high profile cases of rape have come to light in India in the past few weeks, which have sparked a series of women-led protests by students in the country. Students from influential universities are protesting demanding justice after multiple gang rapes.
The Cases Behind the Outrage
Recently, a 17 year old girl was allegedly gang raped by 3 men posing as police officers. Another 17 year old minor was also gang-raped on a moving sleeper bus by the driver and the conductor. These cases have reignited the trauma of the horrific 2012 Nirbhaya case.
Echoes of Nirbhaya
The Nirbhaya case triggered unprecedented, nationwide protests that brought New Delhi to a standstill and forced the government to pass the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act of 2013, establishing fast-track courts, redefining sexual violence laws, and introducing the death penalty for repeat rape offenders or cases leading to death.
Fourteen years later, student protesters are highlighting the unbroken cycle of violence, explicitly noting that the September 2026 sleeper bus rape in Delhi mirrors the exact patterns of the Nirbhaya case, proving that public transport and streets remain fundamentally unsafe.
What Students Are Demanding
Under the slogan “Hum Auratein Azaad Hain” (We Women Are Free), students reject arbitrary hostel curfews that limit women’s mobility, demanding instead systemic changes like better street lighting, functional CCTV infrastructure, and police accountability.
References
The Quint — Kalkaji Mandir case, arrests
The Week — 4th minor rape case in Delhi in 10 days
The Tribune — Sleeper bus chargesheet
Free Press Journal — “Hum Auratein Azaad Hain” protests
OneIndia — DU march details
