Nearly 1,500 policemen were deployed in and around Banaras Hindu University after Saturday's violence.
Days after the controversial police crackdown on the students of Varanasi's BHU, which triggered massive protests, the official asked to investigate the matter has said the university authorities mishandled the situation in the campus, which led to the violence.
The official, who had been asked to investigate the matter by the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, said the university authorities did not deal "sensitively" with the complaint of the girl who had been molested in the campus, which in turn had sparked off the protests. Nor did the university make a timely intervention when the situation threatened to go out of hand, said the preliminary report, which was submitted to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary today.
"When the affected students had reported a specific case to the university authorities, it needed sensitive handling at the point of time. That was possibly not done. Because of that, the situation got aggravated," Varanasi Commissioner Nitin Gokarn told NDTV. "I am talking of the sensitivity of the first responders -- they should have acted properly."
University Vice-Chancellor Girish Chandra Tripathi - who had repeatedly refused to meet the protesting students -- has told NDTV that the case was not of molestation but "simple eve teasing" which was "deliberately staged a day before the Prime Minister's visit". The protests, he said, were politicized.
Mr Tripathi refused to comment on the commissioner's report, saying he was yet to see it. The University, he said, has ordered an inquiry into the matter -- the probe panel will be headed by VK Dixit, the retired judge of the Allahabad court.
Amid anger over the crackdown -- during which two policemen were caught on camera beating up a woman student with batons -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah had spoken to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The molestation of the student within campus premises on Thursday had sparked off protests. The students said the university, instead of ensuring women's safety, was indulging in victim shaming. The violence started on Saturday night after the protesting students, who were on way to the Vice Chancellor's residence, were stopped by security guards of the university and the police were called in.