Pune: Students of International School of Business & Media (ISB&M) and Symbiosis Institute in Lavale say they have to face harassment at the hands of local residents every day.
According to Nipun Sandilya, a final year Mass Communication student at ISB&M, the residents bother them whenever they move out of the college dressed in casuals.
"If we wear T-shirts or shorts, they stop us and ask us not to wear them. They say that we should not wear vulgar clothes as there are women around," said Sandilya.
"In the past, we used to get into arguments with them. Some had even threatened to beat us."
A second year student from Symbiosis Institute of Technology (SIT), who did not wish to be named, said, "We were watching a cricket match and did not realise that there was a funeral procession.
The locals asked us to lower the volume of the television, which we did.
After the rituals were over, some of them walked inside the hostel and started beating us," he said. "When the hostel in-charge intervened, they slapped him.
Later, we complained to the authorities and refused to stay in the hostel. Now the authorities have accommodated us in the guest house within the campus."
Most students say that it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to use the stretch late at night. But no complaint has been lodged yet.
"We are here only for two years and don't want to get into any hassle. But we have addressed the issue to the college authorities," the SIT student said.
College authorities say that they do not compromise on the safety of students.
"We have certain rules and regulations in place. We recommend that students should use the college bus but there are some who prefer traveling by their vehicles," said Shaillejaa Jadhav, head, administration, Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication.
"Students are supposed to return to the campus by 10 pm but they hardly follow rules."
She rubbished the complaints made by students about harassment.
"We have mandatory bus services for students, so there is no question of students traveling by two-wheelers," said Santosh Shelker, administrator from ISB&M. "We have no reports of any incident with the students."
Some students admit that college authorities are unable to take action against the local residents. As the college is in the same locality, they prefer to hush up matters.