DU PhD scholar suspended, FIR filed after professor slapped on campus
Synopsis
A Delhi University PhD scholar has been suspended and an FIR filed after CCTV footage allegedly showed him slapping a professor at Umang Bhawan. Teachers' groups say it is the third such incident in recent months — and are now questioning whether DU's administration is moving fast enough to protect faculty on campus.
Key Takeaways
University of Delhi suspended a PhD scholar from the Faculty of Law with immediate effect on 18 August 2025 .
The scholar was allegedly caught on CCTV slapping a professor at Umang Bhawan at around 10:30 am on Monday .
Delhi Police registered an FIR at Maurice Nagar Police Station ; an investigation is underway.
The university invoked Ordinance XV-B of the Delhi University Act, 1922 to bar the scholar from all DU premises.
An independent three-member enquiry committee headed by Rajeev Gupta (Department of Chemistry) has been constituted.
The Democratic Teachers' Front called this the third reported case of faculty assault in recent months and criticised the administration's response.
The University of Delhi has suspended a PhD scholar from its Faculty of Law and barred him from all university premises with immediate effect after he allegedly assaulted a professor on Monday, 18 August 2025. Delhi Police has registered a First Information Report (FIR) at Maurice Nagar Police Station, and an investigation is underway.
What Happened at Umang Bhawan
The incident took place at approximately 10:30 am at Umang Bhawan on the Delhi University campus. The scholar, admitted to the Faculty of Law during the 2024-25 academic session under Phase-II, was allegedly captured on CCTV footage slapping the professor. The Office of the Proctor initiated disciplinary action after reviewing that footage.
DU Proctor Manoj Kumar Singh confirmed that the footage showed the student allegedly assaulting the professor and stated that a committee had been constituted to examine the matter.
Suspension and Legal Action
A notice issued by the Office of the Proctor formally suspended the scholar from the Faculty of Law with immediate effect. The notice also invoked Ordinance XV-B of the Delhi University Act, 1922, prohibiting the scholar from entering any premises of the University of Delhi. An FIR has been registered at Maurice Nagar Police Station, and police are investigating the case.
Inquiry Committee Constituted
The university has formed an independent three-member enquiry committee to probe the allegations and submit its findings. Rajeev Gupta from the Department of Chemistry has been appointed as the committee's head. Vipul Singh from the Department of History and Sudha Singh from the Department of Hindi are the other two members.
Teachers' Bodies Raise Alarm
The alleged assault has drawn sharp concern from the teaching community. The Democratic Teachers' Front (DTF) termed this the third reported case of violence or physical aggression against faculty members in recent months at Delhi University. The DTF also criticised what it described as a delayed and inadequate response from the university administration to earlier incidents of campus violence.
The teachers' body noted that faculty members had previously faced alleged verbal abuse from another student of the Faculty of Law, and called for stronger disciplinary measures to protect the dignity and security of teachers.
A Pattern of Campus Confrontations
This incident has revived concerns over a broader pattern of student-faculty confrontations at Delhi University-affiliated institutions. Notably, in October 2025, a similar controversy was reported at Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, where DU Students' Union Joint Secretary Deepika Jha was accused of slapping professor Sujit Kumar during a meeting of the college's disciplinary committee.
With a police investigation ongoing and an internal inquiry committee in place, the university's response to this latest incident will be closely watched by both faculty associations and student bodies.
Point of View
Suspension notice, inquiry committee. What is missing is a structural deterrent. The Democratic Teachers' Front's criticism of delayed action is pointed: if disciplinary machinery only activates after footage surfaces, it is reactive by design. The invocation of a 1922 ordinance to handle 2025 campus violence also raises questions about whether DU's governance framework has kept pace with the scale and complexity of its student body. The inquiry committee's composition — drawn from Chemistry, History, and Hindi — rather than Law or institutional governance — is an odd choice for a case rooted in a law faculty dispute, and one that faculty unions are likely to scrutinise.
NationPress
18 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was the Delhi University PhD scholar suspended?
The scholar was suspended after CCTV footage allegedly showed him slapping a professor at Umang Bhawan on the DU campus on 18 August 2025. The university's Office of the Proctor initiated disciplinary action following review of the footage and invoked Ordinance XV-B of the Delhi University Act, 1922 to bar him from all university premises.
Has an FIR been registered in the Delhi University professor assault case?
Yes. Delhi Police registered an FIR at Maurice Nagar Police Station in connection with the alleged assault. An investigation is currently underway.
Who is heading the inquiry committee formed by Delhi University?
Rajeev Gupta from the Department of Chemistry is heading the three-member independent enquiry committee. Vipul Singh (Department of History) and Sudha Singh (Department of Hindi) are the other two members. The committee has been tasked with examining the circumstances and submitting a report to the university.
What has the Democratic Teachers' Front said about the incident?
The Democratic Teachers' Front (DTF) termed this the third reported case of violence or physical aggression against faculty members at Delhi University in recent months. The DTF criticised the university administration's response as delayed and inadequate, and called for stronger disciplinary measures to ensure the safety and dignity of teachers.
Has there been a similar incident at Delhi University before?
Yes. In October 2025, a comparable controversy arose at Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, where DU Students' Union Joint Secretary Deepika Jha was accused of slapping professor Sujit Kumar during a disciplinary committee meeting. The DTF says the latest incident is the third such case in recent months.
