A student at South Asian University (SAU) in Delhi was allegedly lured to a deserted stretch on the campus and assaulted by four men, after receiving a series of threatening emails and messages warning that her morphed nude photograph would be circulated if she did not comply, according to the FIR registered Tuesday by the Delhi Police. For two days before the incident took place on Sunday (October 12), the FIR said, the student had received explicit emails with directions to meet the accused near a guest house close to midnight. Another email followed, with obscene emoticons and lewd remarks, that said she wasn’t listening, it added. “The next day, after 6 pm, 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 and sent. It said if I do not come to Gate 3 within an hour, the photo would be circulated.,” the woman said, as per the FIR. Believing that the image had already been shared, she walked alone towards the construction zone near the university’s convocation centre around 8 pm — an area she described as “dark and empty at night”. According to her statement, as recorded by police, the victim was approached by a security guard. He made a call and a middle-aged man and two others arrived. “One grabbed my T-shirt and tried to pull it up. Someone hit my thigh. They tried to drag me to an empty room. One of them covered my eyes,” the FIR read. She said her clothes were torn when she resisted. The assault stopped only when the sound of a food cart passing near the mess area caused the men to flee. “While running, one of them hit me on the face,” the woman said, as per the FIR. The student then informed her friends who went to check the spot, but there was no one there. According to the FIR and statements recorded, it was fellow students — not the administration — who first alerted police. A call was received at Maidangarhi police station around 3 pm on Monday. The caller, a classmate, told police that the student was in distress and untraceable for several hours. By the time a PCR van arrived, students had found her sitting near an open-air theatre area. She appeared disoriented, said multiple students present that night. She was taken briefly to a hostel room before being moved under police escort to a city hospital, where she was medically examined. In her statement to the police, the student alleged that hostel staff discouraged calling the police or informing her family. According to the FIR, she told police: “The warden said to change my clothes and have a bath, everything will be fine. They said they will call the PRO and handle it internally.” She further alleged that when she attempted to video call her parents, hostel staff and a guard “physically covered the phone and stopped” her from speaking. The administration has not yet responded to calls and messages from The Indian Express. 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 and in one voice. We stand with our students, and assure them of our full support. SAU has a zero-tolerance policy on Sexual Harassment and all forms of violence against women.” ‘University tried to hide the incident’ The student’s uncle, who is her guardian, said he did not receive a single call from the university. Speaking toThe Indian Express, the uncle, who runs an independent business in Bihar, said he learned of the assault only when her classmates called. “Her college friends told me she was not able to walk and was scared. They asked me to come immediately. I took a flight from Patna at 6 am, landed in Delhi at 8.30 am, and came straight to the hospital from the Metro station. The police, not the university, took me there,” he said. He alleged: “The warden only sent a WhatsApp message saying she was hurting herself and manipulating things. This is how they hide it — by calling it a security issue.” The uncle said he has raised the student since she was two. “The university called her father but because he is unwell, I am here to attend to her.” The purported message sent to the uncle by the SAU warden read: “I would like to inform you that your daughter has had a panic attack and is trying to hurt herself. The campus medical doctor has advised that she be taken to the hospital. We have already informed and called her local guardian.” The incident has sparked a protest on campus. By late Monday night, more than a 100 students gathered inside the main administrative corridor, launching a sit-in. They demanded the suspension of the hostel warden and an inquiry committee that includes students. University authorities did not confirm if any staff member had been suspended. One of the men named in the FIR is a non-teaching employee, police confirmed. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankit Chauhan said: “The FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the BNS. The investigation is being conducted with due sensitivity and priority.” Police units remained deployed at Gate No. 3 of the university on Tuesday and officers said they are examining CCTV footage, guard logs and the IP trail of emails sent to the student.
