After stir, Farooqui's event at IIT-B nixed

A performance by Mahmood Farooqui, a writer, performer, and director, at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B), was cancelled on Saturday after a group of students threatened to launch a protest if the programme, scheduled for 7.30 pm, took place on the campus.

- Vikrant Jha

Farooqui, who was to perform 'Dastan-e-Karn: Az Mahabharat' at IIT-B's Izhaar festival, was first convicted and later acquitted in a sexual assault case. Students objected to his "presence on the campus".

Demanding cancellation of the event, a student wrote to the institute's director, dean (student affairs), associate dean, and deputy director. "Given Farooqui's past conviction and subsequent acquittal on charges of sexual assault, his presence on campus could send a troubling message about our institution's stance on issues of consent, accountability, and the safety of our community," read the letter.