Female student allegedly assaulted at SAU, incident sparks protests

A female student at South Asian University (SAU), New Delhi, was allegedly sexually assaulted by four people on campus, prompting student protests.

The victim was discovered bruised and her clothes torn on campus yesterday, October 13, a day after she was reported missing, police said today, October 14.

SAU condemned the event "in the strongest terms" and expressed solidarity with its students.

Officers on the campus told PTI that a Police Control Room (PCR) call was received at Maidan Garhi police station around 3 pm on Monday, stating that a female student who had gone missing from SAU in Chhatarpur, South Delhi, had been discovered injured on campus.

According to the police, the student was discovered near the university auditorium during a campus search. She was rushed to a nearby hospital for medical examination and is being counselled.

The FIR on the incident includes charges of gangrape, as the victim told the police that she was dragged by four people near the auditorium. Additionally, the university administration has been asked to hand over CCTV footage to the police to help them trace the victim’s movements. 

According to the police, the student moved to the SAU campus a fortnight ago following a year in Kota.

As news of the alleged sexual assault spread on Monday evening, students gathered at the administrative block, accusing the university of insensitivity and a delay in contacting the police. They staged an eight-hour sit-in protest. 

In a statement issued today, Tuesday, SAU assured students of all support.

"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," it said.