BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — A man accused of raping a student in her dorm on LSU’s campus in September is allowed to return to the university’s campus.
On Monday, Aug. 12, Vishal Bhardwaj, 26, of Baton Rouge, signed an amended protective order. According to court documents, the bond condition was amended to allow him to attend LSU, as long as he maintains at least a 100-foot distance from the woman who accused him. The state objected to the amendment.
Bhardwaj motioned for the court to alter his bond obligation following a formal hearing by LSU’s Office of Civil Rights and Title IX. According to information his attorneys presented to the court, they found Bhardwaj not responsible for sexual assault — forcible rape and sexual misconduct, according to court documents.
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Police documents said officers responded to North Hall on LSU’s campus on Sept. 9, 2023. The woman told investigators that she was sexually assaulted the same day and provided a detailed account.
Bhardwaj is accused of raping the woman for two minutes after she reportedly said she did not want sex.
Bhardwaj was arrested and booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. He was initially charged with third-degree rape. Bhardwaj subsequently posted bond and was released, according to court documents. He originally was prohibited from returning to LSU’s campus as a condition of that bond.
A hearing for Bhardwaj is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 5. His trial is set for Monday, Sept. 30, according to court documents.
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