New Delhi: An 18-year-old student of South Asian University (SAU) in South Delhi has accused hostel officials of negligence and misconduct after she was allegedly gang-raped by four unidentified men on the university campus on Sunday evening.
The survivor, a first-year BTech student, claimed in her FIR that instead of helping her or alerting authorities, hostel staff dismissed her account and told her to “bathe and change clothes.”
Student Alleges Negligence and Victim-Blaming by Hostel Staff
According to the FIR, the survivor said the hostel in-charge blamed her instead of offering help, saying that “girls have many boyfriends” and suggesting that poor security could allow them to “bring boys into their rooms.” Despite her deteriorating condition, officials allegedly failed to contact the police or provide medical assistance.
The survivor further said she was prevented from video calling her mother to show her bruises. “I wanted to show my bruises to my mother, but the hostel in-charge and a guard were covering me,” she said. It was only after her friends intervened on Monday afternoon that a PCR call was made.
A doctor present at the hostel reportedly told the in-charge about the seriousness of the matter, but the official allegedly dismissed the complaint and made unrelated allegations against other female students.
Police Action and Campus Protests
Police said the survivor was allegedly coerced into leaving her hostel after receiving threatening emails and obscene messages, following which she was sexually assaulted near the university’s convocation centre. A case of gangrape has been registered under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including gangrape, kidnapping, wrongful restraint and administering poison.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ankit Chauhan said multiple teams have been formed to identify the accused. The survivor’s statement was recorded at Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital and later before a magistrate on Tuesday.
The incident has sparked protests on the SAU campus, with students demanding accountability and improved security. The National Commission for Women has taken suo motu cognisance of the case. The university has formed an internal inquiry committee, suspended classes and deployed additional security.
