A major controversy erupted at Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar College in Delhi on Thursday when professor Sujit Kumar was reportedly slapped by Deepika Jha, the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) joint secretary and ABVP member, during a disciplinary committee meeting. The incident happened in the presence of Delhi Police and has caused strong reactions from teachers and student groups. Delhi University has set up an inquiry committee to investigate.
A senior police officer confirmed a complaint has been filed and the case is being looked into. “We received the complaint late evening. Investigators have seen the video and are collecting CCTV footage. The matter is under inquiry,” the officer told Hindustan Times.
Jha admitted to slapping Kumar but said it was in response to verbal abuse and inappropriate behavior. “During the interaction, when I told him that I saw him smoking in public and that does not leave a good impression on students, he verbally abused me,” Jha told HT.
She also claimed he was “staring” and “smirking” at her despite her discomfort.
Jha released apology video
On Friday, Jha released an apology video. In the video, Jha is seen claiming that Kumar had “threatened and stared at her in front of police and was allegedly inebriated. After seeing all this, I felt angry and raised my hand. I regret the incident and I apologise to the teachers’ community. It was not my intention to hurt anyone’s sentiments”.
Professor Kumar, however, disagreed with Jha’s version. He said ABVP members had barged into the meeting uninvited, following a student oath-taking ceremony where some students allegedly attacked the elected college president.
He explained that his college has its own student council. While ABVP members occupied three posts unopposed, the president post was won by an NSUI student. Kumar said that about a month ago, this NSUI student was beaten by ABVP members for contesting the post. He had suspended three ABVP students until September 30. During Wednesday’s event, one of these students reportedly attacked the NSUI president in front of him and other committee members.
Kumar claimed that ABVP members supported the students involved in the scuffle and that he was later pressured to resign. “Then Deepika came and slapped me, as seen in the video,” he told news agency ANI.
Disciplinary meeting called
The meeting called by Kumar was meant to discuss the recent student violence involving ABVP members, according to the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF).
A 32-second video, apparently from CCTV, shows Kumar sitting next to Jha with several people around, including four police officers. The video shows Jha standing up and allegedly slapping Kumar. A female cop then intervenes, seating Jha away, while another man pushes Kumar back into his seat.
In response, Delhi University has set up a six-member inquiry committee, led by Professor Neeta Sehgal from the Department of Zoology, to investigate the assault. The committee is expected to submit a report within two weeks, as instructed by Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh.
The incident has sparked strong reactions. The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) held a protest on the north campus on Friday, while student groups like the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) condemned the incident and urged the university to hold all responsible parties accountable.
