NEW DELHI: A day after the suspension of Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) joint secretary Deepika Jha, the controversy within Delhi University has escalated further as the Delhi University Teacher’s Association (DUTA) termed the action “insufficient” and demanded a more comprehensive inquiry into the events that led to her two-month suspension.
The DU administration suspended Jha from DUSU for two months after an internal inquiry found her guilty of physically assaulting a professor inside the Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar College last month. However, she can attend classes and appear for examinations.
According to the teachers’ association, the suspension appears to be “incomplete and inadequate”, stressing that the university cannot overlook “the growing culture of impunity and intimidation on campus”. They noted that the incident reflects persistent lapses in ensuring a safe and respectful academic environment.
“What is the minimum protocol that the university offers in such cases? Would professors take on bodies like ICC when the system forgets them during a moment of crisis?” questioned Abha Dev Habib, a DTF general secretary. The administration has issued no clarification on the next steps for a broader inquiry committee, even as it calls for stronger accountability on the campus.
“This travesty of justice has sent a strong message that the teachers, the students and the non-teaching staff have no security in their workplace against the miscreants affiliated to the ruling party. They have to fend for themselves for doing their duty honestly,” stated Rudrashish Chakraborty, an associate professor of English in Kirori Mal College.
Echoing a similar opinion, Mithuraaj Dhusiya, an elected member of the DU’s executive council, said, “The quantum of punishment does not seem to inspire confidence to act as a strong deterrent to prevent such incidents of physical assault against teachers in the future.”
Controversy background
On October 16, 2025, the controversy erupted after a video surfaced online allegedly showing DUSU joint secretary Deepika Jha slapping a senior faculty member, Professor Sujit Kumar of the Department of Commerce, inside the principal’s office of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar College in the presence of police personnel.
The story is reported by Teesta Guha Ganguly for The New Indian Express