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‘Blackmailed with threat emails, assaulted’: South Asian University student alleges in complaint to police

South Asian University Assault Case: The student alleged four men tried to sexually assault her on campus; police lodge FIR, scan CCTVs.

The student reported receiving threatening emails before being assaulted by four men on campus. (Source: Express Photo)

SAU University Assault Case: A student at South Asian University (SAU) in Delhi alleged she received threatening emails and messages warning that a morphed nude photograph of her would be circulated, two days before she was allegedly assaulted by four men on campus, according to an FIR registered by the Delhi Police Tuesday based on the student’s complaint.

Her uncle, who arrived in Delhi after the incident, alleged he did not get any call from the university, just a WhatsApp message from the warden saying his niece was hurting herself.

According to the FIR, the student said she received emails containing explicit language, directing her to come to a guest house close to midnight. “The next day (October 12)… I received messages on both WhatsApp and Telegram stating that the photo I had uploaded to my email profile had been morphed to appear nude…,” she alleged, as per the FIR.

The student said she panicked and tried to avoid crowds, and went towards the convocation centre.

According to her statement to police, the victim was approached by two men who asked her what the matter was. Then, she saw two others running towards them. “I got up and started walking… but someone tried to take off my jacket… Another man grabbed my T-shirt and tried to pull it up…,” the woman alleged.

She claimed the men fled after hearing someone come out of the mess. In her statement, the student also alleged that hostel staff discouraged calling the police or informing her family.

Police said a call was received at Maidangarhi police station around 3 pm on Monday from a classmate of the student, who said she was in distress and untraceable for several hours. She was later found near an open-air theatre. She was taken to a hospital and medically examined.

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The Indian Express reached out to officials at SAU who did not respond to calls, emails and messages. Officials at the university told the media that a disciplinary committee and an internal complaints committee are working on the matter.

In a post on X on Tuesday, the varsity wrote: ‘We the SAU community, faculty, staff and students stand in solidarity in light of the alleged horrific act of sexual violence that has been reported on campus. The South Asian University condemns this alleged act of sexual violence in the strongest terms… SAU has a zero-tolerance policy on sexual harassment and all forms of violence against women…”

Speaking to The Indian Express, the student’s uncle said he learned of the assault only when her classmates called. “On the night of October 12, I got a call from my niece’s friend saying they had been unable to find her for 2-2.5 hours… We were panicking… Then the security guard called saying they found her inside the campus,” he said. “… I took a flight from Patna at 6 am, landed in Delhi at 8.30 am, and went straight to the hospital,” he added.

The uncle said he has raised the student since she was born.

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DCP (South) Ankit Chauhan said: “The FIR has been registered under relevant BNS sections. The investigation is being conducted with due sensitivity and priority.”

According to police sources, almost every corner of the university is covered by CCTV cameras. Police have reviewed footage from the time period the victim mentioned in her complaint. “We are scanning CCTV footage and trying to identify any suspects. So far, no suspicious individuals have been seen in the recordings,” a police source said.

In one of the CCTV recordings, sources said, the student is seen walking in the park while talking on the phone. During this time, she left the park for about 10 minutes and returned; she was seen talking on the phone again.

On Tuesday, a team of police officers recreated the incident on campus during which the student was present. The police are examining her laptop and mobile phones, on which she claims to have received threatening emails and objectionable content.

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Police have also written to the service provider to obtain the IP address of the sender of the alleged threat emails and other online content.

The incident had sparked protests on campus. Late Monday night, more than a hundred students gathered inside the main administrative corridor, demanding the suspension of the hostel warden and the formation of an inquiry committee that includes students.

Vidheesha Kuntamalla

Vidheesha Kuntamalla is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She is known for her investigative reporting on higher education policy, international student immigration, and academic freedom on university campuses. Her work consistently connects policy decisions with lived realities, foregrounding how administrative actions, political pressure, and global shifts affect students, faculty, and institutions. Professional Profile Core Beat: Vidheesha covers education in Delhi and nationally, reporting on major public institutions including the University of Delhi (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia, the IITs, and the IIMs. She also reports extensively on private and government schools in the National Capital Region. Prior to joining The Indian Express, she worked as a freelance journalist in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for over a year, covering politics, rural issues, women-centric issues, and social justice. Specialisation: She has developed a strong niche in reporting on the Indian student diaspora, particularly the challenges faced by Indian students and H-1B holders in the United States. Her work examines how geopolitical shifts, immigration policy changes, and campus politics impact global education mobility. She has also reported widely on: * Mental health crises and student suicides at IITs * Policy responses to campus mental health * Academic freedom and institutional clampdowns at JNU, South Asian University (SAU), and Delhi University * Curriculum and syllabus changes under the National Education Policy Her recent reporting has included deeply reported human stories on policy changes during the Trump administration and their consequences for Indian students and researchers in the US. Reporting Style Vidheesha is recognised for a human-centric approach to policy reporting, combining investigative depth with intimate storytelling. Her work often highlights the anxieties of students and faculty navigating bureaucratic uncertainty, legal precarity, and institutional pressure. She regularly works with court records, internal documents, official data, and disciplinary frameworks to expose structural challenges to academic freedom. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2024 & 2025) 1. Express Investigation Series JNU’s fault lines move from campus to court: University fights students and faculty (November 2025) An Indian Express investigation found that since 2011, JNU has appeared in over 600 cases before the Delhi High Court, filed by the administration, faculty, staff, students, and contractual workers across the tenures of three Vice-Chancellors. JNU’s legal wars with students and faculty pile up under 3 V-Cs | Rs 30-lakh fines chill campus dissent (November 2025) The report traced how steep monetary penalties — now codified in the Chief Proctor’s Office Manual — are reshaping dissent and disciplinary action on campus. 2. International Education & Immigration ‘Free for a day. Then came ICE’: Acquitted after 43 years, Indian-origin man faces deportation — to a country he has never known (October 2025) H-1B $100,000 entry fee explained: Who pays, who’s exempt, and what’s still unclear? (September 2025) Khammam to Dallas, Jhansi to Seattle — audacious journeys in pursuit of the American dream after H-1B visa fee hike (September 2025) What a proposed 15% cap on foreign admissions in the US could mean for Indian students (October 2025) Anxiety on campus after Trump says visas of pro-Palestinian protesters will be cancelled (January 2025) ‘I couldn’t believe it’: F-1 status of some Indian students restored after US reverses abrupt visa terminations (April 2025) 3. Academic Freedom & Policy Exclusive: South Asian University fires professor for ‘inciting students’ during stipend protests (September 2025) Exclusive: Ministry seeks explanation from JNU V-C for skipping Centre’s meet, views absence ‘seriously’ (July 2025) SAU rows after Noam Chomsky mentions PM Modi, Lankan scholar resigns, PhD student exits SAU A series of five stories examining shrinking academic freedom at South Asian University after global scholar Noam Chomsky referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an academic interaction, triggering administrative unease and renewed debate over political speech, surveillance, and institutional autonomy on Indian campuses. 4. Mental Health on Campuses In post-pandemic years, counselling rooms at IITs are busier than ever; IIT-wise data shows why (August 2025) Campus suicides: IIT-Delhi panel flags toxic competition, caste bias, burnout (April 2025) 5. Delhi Schools These Delhi government school grads are now success stories. Here’s what worked — and what didn’t (February 2025) ‘Ma’am… may I share something?’ Growing up online and alone, why Delhi’s teens are reaching out (December 2025) ... Read More

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