NEW DELHI: Delhi University on Monday suspended a PhD scholar from its Faculty of Law and barred his entry into the university premises with immediate effect after he allegedly physically assaulted a professor at Umang Bhawan, officials said.
According to a notice issued by the University Proctor’s office, the action followed receipt of CCTV footage of the incident, which took place around 10.30 am on Monday. The student was identified as Shubham Singh, a PhD scholar admitted to the Faculty of Law in the 2024-25 academic session (Phase-II).
“[He] is suspended from the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, with immediate effect,” the Proctor said in the order dated August 17. The university also banned his entry into its premises in accordance with Ordinance XV-B of the Delhi University Act, 1922.
The Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) condemned the alleged assault and demanded strict action against the student. It claimed that CCTV footage showed the student waiting for the professor and allegedly assaulting him as he entered the campus building.
“This incident must be condemned in the strongest terms. The University administration’s repeated failure to act decisively in such cases shows it is simply not serious about teacher safety and dignity,” said Anumeha Mishra, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi and member of the Academic Council.
The DTF said suspension alone was insufficient given the gravity of the incident and called for “strict, swift action” against the student. The teachers’ body also claimed that this incident was not isolated and alleged that several Faculty of Law professors had recently been verbally abused by a student in a separate incident.
Mithuraaj Dhusiya, an elected member of the Executive Council, said cases of violence against teachers had risen substantially during the tenure of the Vice-Chancellor and his team. He called it “extremely ironic” that the V-C, who had tried to stop students and teachers from protesting at Jantar Mantar through X, was unable to prevent incidents of violence against the teaching community at the university.
An Independent Enquiry Committee has been constituted to investigate the alleged misconduct by Singh and submit its report. The committee comprises Prof Rajeev Gupta, Department of Chemistry (Chairperson); Prof Vipul Singh, Department of History (Member); and Prof Sudha Singh, Department of Hindi (Member).
What DTF said
Teachers’ body demanded strict action against student
It demanded better security measures
It alleged that teachers had also faced verbal abuse recently
