IIM Calcutta’s director-in-charge and members of the institute’s internal complaints committee (ICC) addressed students in a general assembly on campus on Monday evening, following the alleged gang-rape in a hostel last week.

The officials assured students of the steps the institute would continue to take to ensure their safety and security.

An IIM-C official said director-in-charge Saibal Chattopadhyay told the students that what had happened on campus last week was an aberration and that the institute follows a policy of zero tolerance towards sexual assault and other forms of violence.

Students at the B-school had told the authorities they wanted to meet the ICC to share concerns over safety and security following the alleged incident on Friday.

A senior IIM-C official said women students were especially anxious following the incident, with their parents worried about their daughters’ safety.

Director-in-charge Chattopadhyay decided to ask the ICC to address the students immediately.

Paramanand Mahaveer Toppannawar, 26, also referred to as Paramanand Jain, a second-year student, was arrested early on Saturday on charges of inviting a 24-year-old woman to his room in the Lake View Hostel and spiking her drink before raping her on Friday.

Police have barricaded room No. 151 on the first floor of the hostel and deployed personnel on campus.

“The parents are worried over the safety and security of their daughters because the alleged offence happened in a co-ed hostel,” said an IIM-Calcutta official.

“They are bombarding their daughters with queries every now and then, seeking updates on their safety. This has left many students more concerned, and they want immediate interaction with the administration to flag their concerns.”

The campus of the premier B-school has two co-ed hostels: Lake View and Ramanujan.

An IIM teacher said the incident has left many students scarred. “I spoke to many faculty members who said they could sense that the alleged rape — for which one of their batchmates has been taken into police custody — has left students in a state of shock,” an IIM professor who holds the position of dean told Metro. “They are not used to seeing police deployment at the campus gate or police securing a crime scene inside. So they wanted an interaction to express their concerns.”

On Saturday, IIM authorities had sent an email to all students encouraging them to reach out to the ICC and student council members with any concerns.

“Please be assured that ICC members and your students’ council members are here for you. Our communication channels are open and strict confidentiality will be maintained,” the email said. “Feel free to reach out if you have any confusion, concerns or questions.”

An IIM-Calcutta professor said male students were equally tense. “They are worried about the possibility of police authorities summoning them in connection with the case. Could the police come to the campus to interrogate them? Will this affect their placements, scheduled to start in a couple of months? They are worried about several things,” the professor said.

“Luckily, the admission season is over. Or else the incident that has destroyed the institute’s unblemished reputation could have affected admissions,” he added.